Dear Kenyans, I hate to be the bearer of unsettling news but the tide is swaying hard in the digital decoders market so if you do not want to settle for the lowly priced free-to-air set top boxes that may or may not deliver the content you want, you need to run to the stores now and do it fast. But as you do so, remember prices for DStv and GOtv will be going up soon.
A while back GOtv announced its expected subscription fees for customers in Uganda starting April 1st and now the same has moved to Nigeria, it will only be a matter of time before the current promotions by GOtv in Kenya come to an end and prices shoot up, especially with the global deadline nearing.
GOtv users should expect to see changes in the GOtv Plus, whose rates in Uganda will go up to price at UGX 28, 000 ($9) from the current 25,000 ($8) and the GOtv Standard that will price at UGX 20,000 ($6.5) from the current 18,000 ($5.8).
And it’s not only GOtv that Kenyans should be wary about as the sister company DStv has also announced it will be increasing its pricing for the Nigerian market, blaming the move on inflation – the same reason it gave when it announced earlier this month that fees are expected to go up by April 1.
The changes will see DStv Compact, Family and Access bouquets price at KSh 3,250, KSh 1,890 and KSh 930 respectively, while the Compact Plus and Premium bouquets are set to price at KSh 5,550 and 8,200 respectively.
While the free-to-air digital decoders sound like the best option for most people crossing over to the digital platform, there are those who still think the Pay TV option is best as it provides a sort of guarantee that a user will get what they pay for. However, these same people are yet to settle on a digital TV plan not knowing the low pricing currently provided for will not last forever.
But as MultiChoice moves to scare away new customers or prepare them for what is to come with purchases of its satellite and terrestrial platforms – I mean, there were no price increases last year so why not shake things up a bit – , providers like StarTimes and Zuku have not announced any changes to come so those are still favourable options.
Oh, talking of Zuku, they actually did increase their subscription fees starting last month so let’s not be quick to denounce the MultiChoice two as favourable options yet and leave customers to decide for themselves. Happy Migrating!
