MultiChoice launches Wethu+ as DStv overhauls packages
By Aboki Forex —
MultiChoice has launched Wethu+, a new entertainment channel on DStv channel 163. The channel replaces Mzansi Wethu and pulls together content previously spread across Mzansi Wethu, Mzansi Bioskop and Mzansi Magic Music.
The launch forms part of what the pay-TV operator describes as its biggest package overhaul in nearly two decades, with dedicated Sports and Movies & Series bouquets now on offer.
What Wethu+ will show
Wethu+ combines local drama, movies, telenovelas, reality shows, children's programmes and educational content in one place, according to MultiChoice. The line-up also includes international blockbuster movies, dubbed telenovelas and daily news updates.
Football is a major part of the offer. MultiChoice confirmed that Wethu+ will broadcast two Premier Soccer League matches every weekend during the football season. The company said pairing football with movies, drama and family programming gives subscribers sports and general entertainment on a single channel.
Prime-time viewing will feature South African productions including Umhlaba Wezifiso Season 1 and Shaka iLembe Season 2, alongside new episodes of Homecoming Season 2, My Brother's Keeper Season 2 and The River Season 6.
Daytime programming leans towards children and education. That includes Woza Matrics, which provides revision and examination preparation support for matric students.
Wethu+ is available from the DStv Starter package upwards, which widens its reach across the subscriber base.
The package shake-up
The wider restructuring went live on September 17, 2026. MultiChoice introduced new DStv packages while retaining some existing plans for current subscribers, and added dedicated Sports and Movies & Series bouquets to give customers more say over the content they pay for.
DStv Compact subscribers were moved to the dedicated DStv Sports package, with the streaming-only option still priced at R399 per month. Despite the sports-focused branding, the package keeps the entertainment content previously available under DStv Compact.
The move comes as pay-TV operators face pressure to prove value to customers amid changing viewing habits and competition from streaming platforms.
Why it matters beyond South Africa
For MultiChoice, the restructuring is a commercial play. It reorganises the offering around different subscriber interests and leans on premium content, football included, to strengthen the value case for pay-TV.
The changes in South Africa will be watched closely in Nigeria, where DStv and GOtv remain major players in subscription television. Affordability, content value and streaming competition continue to shape what Nigerian households choose to pay for.
Meanwhile, CANAL+ earlier cut decoder prices for new DStv and GOtv subscribers by up to 40%, part of a push to revive Africa's biggest pay-TV operator and attract more customers. CANAL+ said the reductions lower the upfront cost of joining the platforms. The move comes as MultiChoice returns to profitability after years of subscriber losses, weak consumer spending and growing competition from global streaming platforms.