Serious blow to DStv in South Africa

DStv has suffered another serious blow after the launch of Amazon Prime in South Africa, which includes Prime Video, for R59 per month.

On Wednesday, 3 June 2026, Amazon.co.za launched Amazon Prime, the eCommerce giant’s membership programme.

Amazon Prime offers a combination of unlimited free delivery, savings, and entertainment benefits.

Subscribers enjoy benefits like unlimited free same-day and next-day delivery on a wide range of items with no minimum spend.

They also get exclusive access to Prime Day, Amazon’s annual global shopping event, and early access to great deals throughout the year.

Outside of the benefits linked to online shopping, subscribers also get free access to Prime Video and Amazon Luna’s gaming platform.

Prime Video is one of the world’s largest over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, second globally only to Netflix.

It evolved from a basic video-on-demand digital storefront into an entertainment hub which includes award-winning international movies and series.

Users get access to many well-known entertainment content, like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, The Boys, Reacher, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

There are also many Amazon Originals, which are high-budget, exclusive series and movies produced in-house via Amazon MGM Studios.

“We offer South African customers world-class shopping and entertainment benefits in a single membership through Amazon Prime,” said Amazon’s Robert Koen.

“Since launching Amazon in South Africa two years ago, we have built a store our customers love, with a great selection of local and international products.”

“Launching Prime is the next milestone on our journey, deepening our commitment to becoming a meaningful part of South Africans’ daily lives.”

Customers can sign up for Prime on a 30-day free trial and then join for a monthly fee of R59 or an annual fee of R399.

Serious blow to DStv in South Africa

When Amazon launched its online shopping service in South Africa, Takealot was the company which had the most to lose.

Takealot responded by launching TakealotMORE, a subscription service that offers unlimited free delivery and shopping perks across Takealot and Mr D.

Simply put, Takealot launched its version of Prime before Amazon, offering additional value to its customers.

Now that Amazon Prime has launched in South Africa, it will be all-out war on pricing and service levels to gain market share.

Amazon Prime also targets the South African entertainment industry through its streaming and gaming services.

Prime members will have access to unlimited streaming of award-winning exclusive Amazon Originals and international licensed movies and series.

Streaming is available on Smart TVs, streaming devices, game consoles, tablets, mobile phones, and desktops.

Prime members can access free cloud gaming, enabling them to stream some of the most-loved games on any device.

Here, the biggest loser will be DStv, which is owned by MultiChoice, which, in turn, is owned by Canal+.

As Prime Video and Luna are bundled with Amazon Prime, subscribers essentially get the streaming and gaming services for free.

The cheapest DStv package, Access, costs R99 per month and, aside from some live sport, does not match the value Prime Video offers.

DStv Compact, which is more comparable to Prime Video, costs R299 per month. This is nearly the same as the yearly price of R399 for Amazon Prime.

It is unclear whether DStv will respond to Amazon Prime’s launch in South Africa. It is also difficult to see how.

MultiChoice has been suffering significant losses in recent years, and Canal+, which acquired the company last year, wants to return it to profitability.

Significantly cutting prices is highly unlikely, and it has no answer to the streaming wars after it shut down Showmax earlier this year.

However, unless it offers South Africans a more attractive alternative, it is likely to continue losing DStv subscribers.

MultiChoice’s integrated annual report for the year that ended 31 March 2025 revealed that the number of DStv subscribers in South Africa declined by 589,000.

This decline has continued over the last year, with no signs that it is set to stop, especially as more households face financial pressure.

Canal+ set to list on the JSE

The launch of Amazon Prime in South Africa and the increased pressure on DStv coincided with Canal+ listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

On 3 June 2026, the JSE welcomed Canal+, a leading global media and entertainment company, to its main board.

Canal+ listed on the London Stock Exchange in December 2024 and, using the fast-track framework, became the first French company to list on the JSE.

The JSE said the secondary listing of Canal+ signals strong international confidence in South Africa’s capital markets.

The listing provides local investors with direct, rand-denominated exposure to the globally diversified media and entertainment business.

Canal+ operates in over 70 countries and employs approximately 15,000 people. In Europe, it has 18 million subscribers across 12 countries.

In Africa, where it has operated for over 30 years, it now has 23 million subscribers across more than 40 African countries.

“Joining the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is a statement of our ambition and illustrates our belief in Africa’s future and its creative industry,” said Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada.

“We are proud to become the first French company ever to list in Johannesburg and the only global media and entertainment company listed on the exchange.”

“Africa will be our growth engine for years to come, and we are dedicated to creating value on the continent and sharing it with our African partners.”