Marking three decades since its 1995 launch, MultiChoice is reviving a classic South African TV tradition: Open Time.
The celebration grants all active DStv satellite subscribers a full, complimentary Premium pass for the weekend of November 7-9, 2025. This strategic move allows customers to experience the platform’s top-tier sports, movies, and entertainment, serving as both a thank-you to existing users and a compelling reason for new and existing customers to upgrade.
Three familiar faces from South Africa’s television past, Ashley Hayden, Scot Scott and Doreen Morris, are among the many icons returning to the screen to celebrate DStv’s 30th anniversary.
“DStv has grown up alongside its viewers,” says Byron du Plessis, CEO: SA PayTV at MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company. “For three decades we have been part of South Africans’ homes, their weekends and their memories. Open Time is part of our broader strategy to reignite the DStv brand and make world-class entertainment more accessible. From the start of November, we will be reducing our HD Decoder pricing by 30% in retail channels and over 40% through our newly launched DStv store to make joining and reconnecting with DStv easier and more affordable than ever.”
A nostalgic return to where it all began
When DStv launched in 1995, Open Time was a window into a new world of television. It gave South Africans a taste of the stories, stars and formats that would shape pop culture for decades to come, from Carte Blanche and Egoli to the presenters who became household names.
Former M-Net presenter Ashley Hayden remembers those early years fondly. “I remember so clearly the first time I went on television. M-Net had just started airing morning movies and there were maybe two housewives watching,” she recalls with a laugh. “Everyone wanted a decoder.”
Another familiar face, Scot Scott, says being part of the 30th anniversary campaign reminded him just how far local television has come. “In those days we wrote our own scripts, dressed ourselves and there was no autocue. You had to have everything in your head and keep going no matter what.”
For television producer and former presenter Doreen Morris, the revival of Open Time feels like a meaningful gesture. “It is a lovely way to give back to loyal viewers. For long-time customers on other packages, it opens up access to Premium stories and experiences they may not have seen before. It is a wonderful 30th birthday gift.”
The anniversary celebrations also feature the talent who are shaping entertainment today, such as Sweet Guluva (Big Brother Mzansi), and Abongwe Mseleku (reality smash-hit Uthando Nes’thembuand spin-off show Izingane Zes’thembu).
DStv Premium customers are also getting more value than ever – as part of the celebrations, customers are being gifted two additional all-device streams from November to the end of December, bringing all-device streams to four in total. The newly launched Premium concierge service offers personalised service and express troubleshooting, 24/7.
Rewards have also been revamped for DStv Premium subscribers, with more vouchers, free BoxOffice movie rentals, invites to exclusive screenings, set visits to popular local DStv shows, celebrity meet-and-greets, VIP experiences at Rugby Championship and SA20 matches, as well as chances to win luxury experiences overseas at the F1 in Brazil or Qatar, LaLiga in Spain or AFCON in Morocco, as well as the occasional surprise gift.
DStv Premium subscribers also continue to receive Showmax at no additional cost.
A weekend of must-see entertainment
The Open Time weekend features a packed sports lineup on SuperSport, including the Springboks vs France match on Saturday and Manchester City vs Liverpool as well as the F1 Brazil Grand Prix on Sunday.
In addition to ongoing favourites like airport heist drama Levels (8PM on Sunday on Mzansi Magic), content highlights to look forward to include:
- The latest season of Emmy-winning reality series Survivor USA (5:30 PM on Friday on M-Net)
- Piece by Piece, the animated biopic of 13-time Grammy winner Pharrel Williams (4:30PM on Saturday on M-Net)
- Local reality series Short and Sweet S3 (6PM on Saturday on Mzansi Magic) and Date My Family (6PM on Sunday on Mzansi Magic)
- A new season of X-Repo, just nominated as Best Non-Scripted Reality Series at The National Film & TV Awards, where presenter Xolani Maphanga is up for Best Male TV Personality (7PM on Saturday on Moja Love)
- The 20th anniversary special of America’s Got Talent (7PM on Saturday on M-Net)
- The first episode of NCIS: Tony & Ziva (5PM on Sunday on M-Net). The trailer for the spinoff hit a franchise record 93m views in its first week.
- Som van Twee premieres on kykNET for the first time – winner of Best Feature film at the 2024 kyKNET Silwerskermfees. (8PM on kykNET)
- Drop, a twisty thriller about the worst date ever, starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar (8PM on Sunday on M-Net).
And no DStv milestone would be complete without Carte Blanche on Sunday evening at 7PM, continuing its legacy of investigative journalism that has shaped public life for over three decades.
How to take part
Open Time runs from 12:01AM on Friday, 7 November to 11:59PM on Sunday, 9 November 2025, for active DStv decoder customers in South Africa. The Open Time weekend doesn’t apply to streaming.
DStv’s online store is being refreshed and updated with celebratory deals, including an offer for a standalone DStv HD decoder at R299 (or R699 with installation), or alternatively from leading retailers at R399 (or R899 with installation), from 1 November.
