DStv is easily the best direct-to-the-home satellite broadcast service in Africa. It is wildly popular across Africa, south of the Sahara, especially in English-speaking countries. Not only does DStv license the best content from across Africa and the rest of the world, but it also invests massively in its own productions. This makes the service a very attractive offer to those who seek sports, entertainment and timely news.
Some would say DStv is a premium service targetted at the rich and middle-class due to its pricing. It is thus understandable that some across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria, Lesotho, Ghana, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Namibia and other parts of Africa would seek free options, especially how to install Free Channels on DStv decoders.
Free DStv Channels
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As of 2020, it is no longer possible to enable these free-to-air channels on current DStv HD decoders. DStv has not enabled this option on newer models of their decoders, unlike previous decoder models.
You can, however, enjoy a handful of free channels in South Africa without an active DStv subscription:
- Dish on TV – Channel 100
- People’s Weather – Channel 180
- VOOV TV – Channel 196
Almost-Free EasyView
In South Africa, some 37 TV channels including SABC1, SABC2, SABC3, etv HD, eExtra, Soweto TV, bayTV, KZN TV, tTV, CapeTV, Gau TV) can be unlocked, for R29 per month.
But of course, you are not here to pay. You want free channels. Read on.
DStv Now
The service is an Internet streaming service intended for DStv subscribers to enjoy their subscription on smartphones and tablets but has recently been extended to TV sets through Apple TV, Android TV, as well as apps on select Samsung and LG smart TVs.
It is possible to enjoy some limited TV programming free-of-charge, on DStv Now, without an active subscription. Some 7 live TV channels, as well as dozens of on-demand TV shows, sports, movies etc, are available on the DStv Catchup section of DStv Now.
You can read the full details about DStv Now here.
Free Channels on Eutelsat 36B
The premise of free channels on “DStv” is that there are other broadcast services sharing the same satellites with DStv. DStv South Africa broadcasts from Intelsat 20 at 68.5°E and DStv Africa makes use of Eutelsat 36B at 36.0°E. There are hundreds of free-to-air channels on both satellites.
OpenView HD
Restricted to South Africa, OpenView HD offers some 16 TV channels and 11 radio channels, completely free-of-charge. These include:
- 101 SABC 1
- 102 SABC 2
- 103 SABC 3
- 104 eHD
- 105 eExtra
- 106 eMovies
- 107 eMovies Extra
- 109 eBella
- 110 Star Life
- 115 Kwese Free Sport
- 116 Trace Sports Stars
- 121 BBC World News
- 130 eToonz
- 134 DBE Mindset
- 135 DaVinci Learning
- 140 Glow TV
- 151 Kruiskyk
OpenView shares the same satellite with DStv South Africa. Thus once the decoder is purchased from any of the OpenView-approved retailers in South Africa, the service needs to be activated via SMS and then connected to the existing satellite dish. The dish does not need to be adjusted. It should work once connected and activated.
With the exception of the Openview HD promo and Kruiskyk TV plus the 11 radio channels, the Openview channels though free-to-view, are encrypted and would only work on OpenView decoders.
Other Satellite Receivers
As explained earlier, DStv shares with the same satellite with other broadcasters.
Hundreds of free-to-air channels can be accessed once the satellite dish is connected to a compatible receiver.
Dozens of digital satellite receiver brands are out there, capable of MPEG2 / MPEG4 and DVB-S2 would work. Some recent Samsung and LG TV sets have in-built receivers capable of working for this purpose.
For example, an LG Smart TV is capable of automatically scanning all the possible frequencies for existing TV and radio broadcasts. There is no need for manually entering frequencies, vertical or horizontal.
65″ UHD Smart Digital TV has a built-in digital satellite receiver.
As of October 2018, 198 TV channels and 89 radio channels were found after a scan from Johannesburg South Africa. These are mostly religious channels from across Africa.
am tired of dstv and i want to change to free to air. i need to know what to do.
can i use my dstv decoder for free station here in south africa ?
can i use tstv here in south africa
You cannot use any of the modern DStv decoders for free-to-air channels in South Africa.
Tstv’s satellite beam does not get to southern Africa.
Tell me the truth if can I watch free
how can i watch la liga on strong 4330 str decoder and open view channels
You need an OpenView decoder to watch OpenView channels. I am not sure if they feature La Liga games.
Misleading headline.
There are no guidelines at all in tbe whole schoolboy essay!
Read it again. Slowly.
Lol. Excellent response
Sgive us setting to access free channels on HD decoder
Free-to-Air decoders give many channels – all free! Excellent channels such as Hope Channel Africa, Amazing Discoveries, Homebase TV, and many others. Hope Channel is a family channel, carrying programs on health, cooking, adventure, inspiration, Be sure to get the MPEG4 version, not the old MPEG2.
Plz I’m in Nigeria. What’s the codes
Hi Mr David, I just bought apha x6 satellite receiver, am staying in south Africa, please educate me on how I can track free to air channels that shows sport, movies and music. I have a 80cm and my decoder is capable of mpeg2 and 4. I need frequency and symbol rate please! Thanks.
Hello sir, I wanted to know if I can use a DSTV subscription card on another s2 plus HD satellite receiver to unlock channels from DSTV satellite?
Yes u can get some of free channels on hd dedecod
How?
pliz can have free channels coz i am R400 a month and i want watch yadah7 t v church service
Good day sir. What settings should I put to view free to air channels on starsat. Thank you
i have an old decoder from which usually i get free to air channels but i lost them how do i set them again
This is not nice at all no free channel on DStv HD TV,compact
Why always repeating same movies several times???
Am not impressed with your service just bought DStv compact on Monday the 1st of June and today all the channels has stopped.. customer care is not responding. Freetown
I want to know the free stations on dstv Nigeria subscription
I just bought second hand vivid 700s decorder,it show only one can you show me how to make other channels appear.from south africa.its use sentech smart card.
Can I be assisted where to get decoder FTA SRT GS 5HD
If I have a wiztech old decoder can it have access to sabc tv
I think I need to switch to DSTV bcoz of the FTA
We don’t benefit any free channels here in Nigeria.. Can’t imagine local channels will have to be scrambled as well. Poor service rendered.
Even after a successful subscription, all we get is repetition of old movies, no latest movie broadcast..
The only thing that Dstv can offer in the industry is just European football.. Every other services are all trash and we pay huge amounts of money monthly for subscription..
There’s nothing special in Dstv aside from you being a football fan.. We need to tell ourselves the bitter truth..
can this free channels be viewed in Ghana