Could DStv be on its way out of Zimbabwe?

Raisedon Baya

I SPENT a full week trying to pay my DStv subscriptions after discovering that all my usual channels and methods of payments had been somehow rendered useless. To think there was once a time when paying for television had become so easy that my 12-year-old daughter could do it on her own via phone — like she was playing a game. This easy way somehow ended the very week that a very worried RBZ Governor, Dr John Mangudya came out on ZBCtv expressing his disappointment about Zimbabweans’ lack of prioritisation — he couldn’t believe that Zimbabweans were paying more for DStv than they were for education and health. The money going to DStv alone was shocking.

So when my monthly DStv subscription expired it was horror of horrors to get to my bank and being told “we no longer do those payments”. Only a few good banks were still offering the service as an online product. When I discovered I couldn’t pay online, and that I couldn’t also get someone to pay for me, the only choice left was to literally look for hard cash. First, I had to get bond notes — waking up at 3am in the morning queue at the bank, and then changing these into US dollars (for a fee) before being allowed to pay at this bank — which charged me a ridiculous bank commission too! I felt robbed walking out of that bank. The experience alone left me fuming and angry for another week. Why was I failing to pay a simply $30 when I had money in my account?Why did I look for cash when the talk everywhere is paperless transactions? And was DStv that important that my life had to stop for full week? These questions flooded my mind the whole week.

From the bank, to friends and your so-called “experts on social media” stories and conspiracy theories were abound. The most intriguing ones were:

1. That RBZ was failing to “pay” Multichoice money owed as its Nostra accounts were empty. Multichoice is the owner of DStv. But then how come other foreign service providers are not experiencing the same difficulties?And besides for how long have we heard the same rumour about the empty Nostra account? Hope one day someone will explain to me in plain English what this Nostra animal is all about.

2. That our Government, through RBZ again, was trying to push Multichoice out of the country to pave way for Zimdigital. Some experts here went on to claim that RBZ was actually investing in Zimdigital and was eyeing a big payday once DStv moved out. But then in a free economy like ours there is no need for government to play dirt, and I don’t believe it is playing dirt. Government makes rules in this country and can make rules that can make the coming in of Zimdigital smooth, without any need to play dirt. Afterall Zimdigital will bring the much needed local content we miss so much.

3. That Kwese TV was coming to take over from DStv. This was a more persistent rumour which the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe had to try and squash quickly by asking the public not to believe in the rumour as they had not granted Kwese TV any satellite license. It is just our hope that when Kwese TV gets a license and comes to Zimbabwe it will behave like a Zimbabwean platform putting Zimbabwean content first.

But most importantly, when all has been said, DStv needs to change the way it does business in Zimbabwe. First, it needs to change the way it treats its Zimbabwean clients. Secondly, it needs to change its bouquet system as half the time we are paying for useless channels. Competition, from either Zimdigital or Kwese Tv will surely make DStv jump and pay more attention to customers outside South Africa. What the system needs now is a disruption!!!