A note before the steps. Vivimate is a general IPTV subscription for the US and Canada; it doesn't carry DStv and we hold no DStv account. So this page doesn't describe screens we've clicked through. It gathers what DStv's own South African help pages say, each one linked and read on November 10, 2026. Menus in other African countries can differ.
The five self-service channels
DStv's Contact us page lists the routes that don't need an agent. Each suits a different situation: USSD works on any cellphone without data, WhatsApp is a guided chat, and the website and app hold the full account.
| Channel | How to reach it | What DStv says it does |
|---|---|---|
| MyDStv website | Sign in on dstv.com | Pay, Fix errors, reconnect, schedule a disconnection under My Products |
| MyDStv app | Android, iOS, Huawei; South Africa only | Balance, Pay now, package changes, decoder errors, reconnect |
| Save 060 060 3788, send "Hello" | Pay (option 1), reconnect, schedule a disconnection, add mobile streams | |
| USSD | Dial *120*68584# from the registered number | What you owe, clear errors, transactions, reconnect packages |
| Live chat | Icon on dstv.com, 07:00 to 23:00 daily | Questions the other routes don't cover |
The grid below sorts the same information by job. A filled dot means a DStv page we read names that channel for that task; an empty one only means we didn't find it stated.
Paying without queueing
DStv's How to pay page has more than a dozen methods. The quickest self-service one is Instant EFT:
- Open the Manage tab in the MyDStv app, choose option 1 on WhatsApp, or sign in to MyDStv online.
- Tap Pay now and choose Instant EFT.
- Pick your bank, log in with your online banking details, choose the account and confirm, or enter the one-time PIN.
DStv says the account updates instantly that way. The same Pay now screen offers Capitec Pay, approved inside the Capitec app. If an E16 or EDN message is already on the TV, the Pay on TV option lets you scan its QR code with your phone camera and pay by card or bank transfer. For a regular payment, a debit order can be set up online through Self Service if you bank with Standard Bank, Capitec, FNB, Absa or Nedbank and the bank account is in the same name as the DStv account. Paying at PEP, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar or Ackermans needs the prefix 11374 in front of your customer number.
After you pay: reconnection
DStv's reconnection FAQ says services come back on their own once the payment shows on the account, provided the full amount, including any reconnection fees, has been paid. A second FAQ puts a number on it: about 15 minutes after an internet transfer, an ATM payment or a deposit at an Absa branch, though the payment itself can take longer to reflect.
If the screen is still dark after that, the same FAQ says to reconnect through the DStv website or the WhatsApp bot in the MyDStv app, and the contact page adds the USSD code as a third way to reconnect packages.
Clearing an error code
Most on-screen codes have a page in DStv's error code index, which warns that some codes can't be fixed through Self Service. For the most common one, DStv's E16 page says it can mean suspended services or a channel outside your package. If the account is paid and the package active, it sends you to the online Fix error tool and says the code may take up to 15 minutes to clear. If the channel simply isn't in your package, the fix is an upgrade, not a reset. What each of the other codes means is on our DStv error codes page.
Signing in and resetting a password
The website and the MyDStv app both start with a DStv login. On the website, DStv's password FAQ says to choose Forgot Password and enter the email you registered with; a once-off reset link follows. In the app, its app FAQ points to the same Forgot Password link. DStv's MyDStv guide dated May 1, 2021 describes registering: tap More, then Log In, enter an email, a mobile number and a password, choose Create an Account, then link it with the account holder's ID number, smartcard number or DStv customer number. A reset there sends a 4-digit one-time PIN by email or SMS.
The smartcard number is printed under the barcode on the back of the card. An Explora Ultra has no smartcard, so on that decoder the ID or customer number is the way in; our Explora Ultra guide covers the box.
Changing or cancelling a package
The 2021 MyDStv guide lists upgrading or downgrading among the app's jobs. Cancelling is a scheduled disconnection: DStv's cancellation FAQ says to go to My Products on the website, select the package and use the Disconnect icon. It takes effect on your next payment date, and the MyDStv app or WhatsApp can do the same; you can reconnect through them later.
If your account still shows Compact, Family or Access, nothing is broken. DStv's package article dated September 8, 2026 says customers move to the new packages automatically, in phases, and that the old name may show for a while even though the new channels arrive. Our DStv packages and prices page has the new names and rand prices.
Streams and linked devices
On DStv Stream, device housekeeping is self-service too. DStv's page on streaming on more than one device allows 4 linked devices per subscription and puts the list in the DStv Stream app under More, then Settings, then Manage Devices. After removing one, wait 5 minutes before streaming on the new device. Extra mobile streams are added on WhatsApp by typing "Stream"; DStv says one becomes active within 5 minutes and a removal takes effect on the next payment date. How many screens each package allows at once is on our DStv Stream page, because DStv's own pages give different counts.
When you need a person
The contact page lists the call centre from 08:00 to 22:00 every day, at (011) 289 2222 for Randburg, (031) 710 2222 for Durban and (021) 508 2222 for Cape Town, plus service centres in those cities. Live chat on dstv.com runs from 07:00 to 23:00.
Managing a family account from the US or Canada
Many readers here pay for a parent's DStv back home. The pages we read don't say whether the USSD code or WhatsApp answer a number that isn't South African; USSD has to come from the number registered on the account. The payment methods DStv lists are South African banks, retailers and wallets, and its How to pay page doesn't say whether a foreign card works, so ask DStv before relying on one. Watching is a separate matter: DStv's app FAQ says there is no content outside African countries with DStv, because its content rights don't allow it, and we don't suggest any way around that.
Where Vivimate fits
Vivimate has nothing to do with your DStv account: it isn't DStv, doesn't carry DStv or SuperSport, and no DStv login works with it. It's a separate IPTV service priced in US dollars, and we don't promise any channel, league or show; the 24-hour free trial needs no card and lets you search the guide yourself. Prepaid plans with no auto-renewal cost $19.99 for 1 month ($31.98 on two devices), $29.99 for 3 months ($47.98 on two devices), $39.99 for 6 months ($63.98 on two devices) or $69.99 for 12 months plus 2 free ($111.98 on two devices). A first purchase has a 7-day refund window when a service problem you report can't be fixed; our refund policy has the details. IPTV itself is legal and the seller's rights decide the rest, as our page on whether IPTV is legal explains. We don't publish the rights agreements behind our channels.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DStv self service WhatsApp number?
DStv's contact page gives 060 060 3788. Save the number and send "Hello" to start. DStv's payment page says option 1 there leads to paying, and its FAQs say WhatsApp can also reconnect services, schedule a disconnection and add mobile streams.
What is the DStv USSD code?
*120*68584#. DStv's contact page says to dial it from the cellphone number registered on your account to check what you owe, clear errors, view transactions and reconnect packages.
How long does DStv take to reconnect after I pay?
DStv says services reconnect automatically once the payment shows on the account, as long as the full amount, including any reconnection fees, is paid. For an internet transfer, an ATM payment or an Absa branch deposit it expects about 15 minutes, though the payment can take longer to reflect.
How do I clear a DStv error code myself?
If the account is paid up and the package is active, DStv's E16 page points to the online Fix error tool on MyDStv and says the code may take up to 15 minutes to clear. The USSD code can clear errors too. DStv notes that some error codes can't be fixed through Self Service.
Can I cancel DStv online?
Yes, as a scheduled disconnection. DStv's FAQ says to go to My Products on the website, choose the package and use the Disconnect icon; it takes effect on your next payment date. The MyDStv app and WhatsApp can do the same, and you can reconnect through them later.
Sources
All read November 10, 2026.
- DStv: Contact us and How to pay
- DStv help: How soon will my services be reconnected?, Why are my services still not reconnected? and How can I cancel my DStv package?
- DStv help: error code index and error code E16
- DStv help: resetting your password on the website, forgotten app password, serial and smartcard numbers and Explora Ultra comparison
- DStv: Streaming DStv on more than one device and What is the DStv Stream App?
- DStv news: Getting started with the MyDStv app, dated May 1, 2021, and New DStv Packages, dated September 8, 2026
Couldn't read: the MyDStv sign-in, Fix errors and My Products screens themselves (they need an account), the WhatsApp and USSD menus beyond what DStv's pages describe, and the current reconnection fee amount (the FAQs we read don't state it).
New to the service? Start with the full Vivimate IPTV guide — what it includes, what it costs and how to set it up.