DStv, GOtv subscribers stranded over activation delay

DStv and GOtv subscribers in Nigeria and other African countries have taken to social media to complain about glitches affecting the activation of their subscriptions, leaving some customers unable to access their paid services.

The complaints surfaced on Friday as football fans returned to their screens for the resumption of the 2026/2027 English Premier League season and other major leagues.

Several subscribers said they renewed their subscriptions ahead of the weekend’s fixtures but were unable to access their packages due to delayed activation and technical errors.

The development reportedly affected football fans who had specifically renewed their subscriptions to watch the return of the Premier League.

One subscriber, Emmanuel Akinsanya, told PM News that he missed the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Coventry on Friday because his DStv subscription was not activated despite payment.

The complaints also spread across social media, with subscribers demanding urgent intervention from DStv and GOtv.

An X user, Abuja Streets (@abujastreets), wrote on Friday: “Today that the EPL resumed, DSTV decided to move mad. Bruh! The number of people that renewed their subscriptions today just cos of the EPL are left stranded. This is utterly ridiculous.”

Another verified user, Jessycar (@jessy_decoco), said a payment made several hours earlier had not reflected on the DStv application, leaving the decoder inactive.

“@DStvNg I made a payment over 3hours ago to renew my subscription. I have been debited but the payment is not reflecting on my dstv app and my decoder is not working. Kindly look into this ASAP,” the user wrote.

Morgan Patrick (@morganpatrivk) also complained about a delayed activation, tagging both DStv and GOtv.

“@GOtvNg @DStvNg what’s happening… over an hour now and my subscription is still not working. Showing error E16,” he wrote.

The complaints were not limited to Nigeria, as subscribers in other African markets also reported difficulties accessing the platforms.

In Ghana, Solomon Adusei Peprah (@Curtis_peprah) claimed he was unable to make a payment because the DStv system appeared to be down.

“@DStv_Ghana system is down. I can’t pay for my subscription,” he wrote.

A Kenyan subscriber, Ken Mwirigi (@mwirigy), said his DStv package remained inactive despite making payment. He also complained that the available customer service channels were not responding.

“@GOtvKenya_ paid my subscription, but package yet to be activated. *423# not going through, chat bot ignored, calls offline. Mwatakaje jamani? Nirudishieni pesa yangu niende nikawatch kwa club kama wanaume wengine 🙄,” he stated.

The reported glitches came at a particularly sensitive time for the pay-TV platforms, with thousands of football fans renewing subscriptions ahead of the return of top European leagues.

The complaints have raised concerns among subscribers who paid specifically to watch live football but were unable to access their services immediately after making payment.

DStv and GOtv, operated by MultiChoice, have yet to publicly provide a detailed explanation for the reported activation delays at the time of filing this report.

PM News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as the service provider responds to the complaints.