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DStv Piloting Weekly Subscription Model in Uganda to Match Customer Cash Flow Patterns

Insights At a Glance:

  • DStv is testing a weekly subscription model in Uganda to match customer cash flow patterns.
  • If successful, the offering could expand to Kenya and beyond in 3–6 months.
  • But I’m skeptical, especially after how Spotify’s weekly plan rollout played out.

As financial pressures squeeze households across the continent, DStv owner MultiChoice is testing a bold new idea — weekly subscription plans. Yep, you read that right. For the past seven weeks, the company has quietly been piloting this model in Uganda, and depending on how the test performs, you could see this bite-sized DStv offering rolled out in more countries, including Kenya.

The logic? Aligning with the way people actually earn and spend money. Just like you top up your airtime or data in small chunks, why not do the same for TV? MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela likens it to how prepaid changed the mobile game. “It’s a big change,” he said, noting that tough economic times are calling for more flexible options. The idea is to ease the burden on subscribers who can’t always commit to monthly plans — and maybe win back some hearts (and wallets) along the way.

But if you’re Kenyan and this sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is. Spotify tried something similar, offering a weekly plan that initially felt like a steal — until the prices started creeping up. From KES 49 to KES 69 and even KES 99 at one point, all while the full monthly plan is KES 339. The math? It stopped making sense real fast, and Spotify finally caved in.

Spotify Premium weekly subscription in Kenya

So naturally, this DStv weekly model raises eyebrows. Will it actually offer value? Or is it another pricing experiment that sounds great on paper but fizzles out when the real costs kick in? Since I’m still not sure how the model works in Uganda, I hope I’m proven wrong.

MultiChoice is betting big on change. After a rough financial year — where subscribers dropped by over a million across both South Africa and the rest of the continent — the company is rethinking its entire strategy. Beyond weekly plans, there’s even talk of a SuperSport-only package (finally!) and a modular option where you build your own channel bundle, though that’s still in the “maybe someday” box.

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For now, all eyes are on Uganda as the test continues. And if this actually works — if pricing is right, the flexibility is real, and it doesn’t feel like a trick — then maybe, just maybe, we’ll see a new era of accessible pay-TV.


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Hillary Keverenge

Making tech news helpful, and sometimes a little heated.

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