Verified 13 September 2026

What is MultiChoice, and how do DStv, GOtv and Showmax relate?

By David Wachira · MultiChoice Kenya hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with MultiChoice Kenya.

MultiChoice is the South African pay-TV group that owns DStv, GOtv, Showmax and SuperSport. They are one company but three separate subscriptions with three separate paybills, and paying one does not credit another.

The three products, plainly

DStv is the satellite service. A dish on the wall, a decoder, a smartcard. The most channels, the highest prices, and all of SuperSport at the top tiers.

GOtv is digital terrestrial. A small aerial rather than a dish, a cheaper decoder, fewer channels, and much lower prices. It is aimed squarely at households that want Premier League and local channels without a Premium bill.

Showmax is streaming. No hardware. You watch on a phone, laptop or smart TV, and you are billed against your phone number.

SuperSport is not sold separately in Kenya. It is the sports arm that supplies channels to DStv and GOtv.

Why three paybills and not one

Because they are three billing systems that happen to share an owner. DStv bills a smartcard, GOtv bills an IUC, Showmax bills a phone number. Sending DStv money to the GOtv paybill does not get quietly rerouted by a helpful system somewhere inside MultiChoice. It sits where you sent it. Treat them as three separate companies at the moment of payment, whatever the branding suggests.

Which one should you actually be on?

The honest answer is that the jump from GOtv Supa+ at KES 3,199 to DStv Compact at KES 4,200 is about a thousand shillings a month for roughly forty-five more channels and a different sports package. The jump from DStv Compact to Premium is a further KES 7,500 a month, and what you are buying there is the full SuperSport set and first-run international series. Most Kenyan households who feel they are overpaying are on a tier above the one they actually watch. Look at what you watched last month before you renew.

How to reach MultiChoice Kenya

For GOtv, call +254 711 066 600. We dialled it on 13 September 2026 and it reaches GOtv care. Have your IUC number and the M-PESA transaction code ready before you call.

DStv is different: there is no published phone line

DStv Kenya’s contact page lists four channels and, notably, no telephone number: the MyDStv app, WhatsApp on +254 755 896248 (have your smartcard number and surname ready), USSD on *423#, web chat on dstv.com, and email to mchoice@ke.multichoice.com. Several third-party sites publish a DStv Kenya phone number, and the ones we checked do not match each other. We are not repeating any of them, because none appears on a MultiChoice page and we have not dialled them. WhatsApp is the fastest of the four that MultiChoice does document.

A note on *423#

Both DStv and GOtv document *423# as their self-service code, and it does the useful things: check what you owe, clear error codes, view recent transactions, and reconnect. One caveat that DStv states and almost nobody repeats: dial it from the mobile number registered on the account. From any other handset it will not recognise you.

About this page

paybillke is an independent payments directory. We are not MultiChoice, DStv, GOtv or Showmax, and we cannot see or change your account. Prices and paybills on this page were checked on 13 September 2026 against dstv.com/en-ke and gotvafrica.com/en-ke. Always confirm the paybill and your own smartcard or IUC number on screen before you enter a PIN.

MultiChoice products in Kenya

Product	What it is	Paybill	Account field
DStv	Satellite, decoder and dish	444900	Smartcard number
GOtv	Digital terrestrial, aerial	423655	IUC number
Showmax	Streaming, no hardware	4081010	Registered mobile number
SuperSport	Channels inside DStv and GOtv	Not sold separately	n/a

Frequently asked

Who owns DStv and GOtv?

Both are MultiChoice, the South African pay-TV group, which also owns Showmax and SuperSport.

Can I pay DStv and GOtv with one paybill?

No. DStv is 444900, GOtv is 423655, and they credit different systems.

What is the difference between DStv and GOtv?

DStv is satellite with a dish and more channels at higher prices. GOtv is terrestrial with a small aerial, fewer channels and much lower prices.

What is the GOtv Kenya phone number?

+254 711 066 600. We dialled it on 13 September 2026 and it reaches GOtv care.

What is the DStv Kenya phone number?

DStv Kenya does not publish one on its contact page. It offers WhatsApp on +254 755 896248, *423#, web chat and email to mchoice@ke.multichoice.com.

Is SuperSport a separate subscription?

Not in Kenya. It comes as channels within DStv and GOtv packages.