People still search for a DStv and Showmax bundle, and plenty of older pages still describe one. On November 10, 2026we read DStv's own pages to find out what is true today. The short version: the bundle question has been replaced by a different one, because Showmax itself is gone. Vivimate, which publishes this page, is a separate IPTV subscription for US and Canadian homes and carries neither DStv nor Showmax content.
The short history, from DStv's own dates
The bundle people remember was real. In an article dated March 17, 2025, DStv wrote that DStv Premium customers "already receive Showmax at no extra cost" and that Compact customers could add Showmax to their subscription at a discount. That was the deal: the top package got it thrown in, the middle package got a lower price, and everyone else paid for Showmax separately.
A year later the direction changed. DStv's article dated March 19, 2026 announced that Showmax Originals were moving to DStv Stream, available on Compact and Premium through the streaming app. Its Showmax page gives the end point precisely: the Showmax streaming service "will be discontinued on 30 April 2026 at 23:59". Unused vouchers had to be redeemed by March 31.
Why DStv closed Showmax
DStv's FAQ "Why is Showmax being discontinued?" gives one reason: to bring Showmax Originals and local and international content together with live TV and sport in a single app, DStv Stream. The March 2026 article signs off as MultiChoice, "a CANAL+ company", which is the ownership context behind the change. We found nothing more on DStv's pages, so we won't guess at the business reasons.
Where the shows went
The shows didn't vanish; most of them changed address. DStv's how-to article dated April 20, 2026 says to log in to DStv Stream and pick Showmax from the top navigation menu. That section is the new home for the Originals and for the local and international titles that came across.
Two losses are worth knowing before anyone in the family goes looking. Profiles and watch history did not transfer, so a half-finished series starts from a blank slate. And DStv says some titles "can't move due to content licensing agreements", without naming them. If a particular show matters to you, search for it in the Showmax section rather than assume it made the trip.
Which DStv package gets the Showmax section today
This is where DStv's pages lag behind each other. Its package FAQ answers in one line: Showmax Originals content is available on "DStv Stream Compact and all higher packages". The April 2026 articles say much the same, and the article dated April 1, 2026 adds that DStv Compact, Compact Plus and Premium customers get Showmax content on DStv Stream "at no additional cost".
Those names predate DStv's package change. From September 17, 2026, per DStv's guide dated September 8, 2026, Compact customers moved to DStv Sports, Family to Select and Access to Starter, while Compact Plus stays for current subscribers and takes no new ones. Neither that guide nor DStv's package chooser dated September 17, 2026 mentions Showmax at all. So the honest answer is Compact level and above under the old names, plus a quick confirmation with DStv for the new ones before anyone upgrades for it. Current rand prices for every package are on our DStv packages and prices page, and the full lineup is on our DStv overview.
What Showmax subscribers were offered
Standalone Showmax subscriptions did not carry over automatically. Instead, the April 1 article says, eligible Showmax subscribers got trial access to DStv Stream Compact until June 15, with the option to keep it at R99 a month for 12 months as long as payments stayed up to date. The offer covered all Showmax plans, including the Premier League one, which the March article notes had only played on mobile devices. Anyone who chose not to move could ask for a refund of the unused part of their Showmax subscription, under DStv's standard terms. That trial window has passed; if a relative in South Africa is on the R99 rate, their DStv account shows how long it runs.
For readers in the US and Canada
Many people reading this are paying for family in South Africa, or remember Showmax from home. Whatever the package, DStv's app FAQ says that in countries outside those where DStv operates in Africa "there will be no content available", because its content rights do not allow it. That covers the Showmax section too. A DStv Stream subscription paid for from Toronto or Texas plays for the person living in an African DStv country, not for you here, and we don't suggest ways around those territory rules. If one South African series matters to you, check whether a streaming service sold in North America lists it on its own pages.
Where Vivimate fits, and where it doesn't
Vivimate is not a replacement for Showmax or a route to DStv, and we don't promise any South African channel, series or sport. It is a separate IPTV subscription for US and Canadian homes. The 24-hour free trial needs no card, and it is the right way to see what the guide holds: search it for the things you watch before paying. Plans are prepaid and don't renew automatically: 1 Month for $19.99 ($31.98 for two devices), 3 Months for $29.99 ($47.98 for two devices), 6 Months for $39.99 ($63.98 for two devices) and 12 Months plus 2 free for $69.99 ($111.98 for two devices). A first purchase has a 7-day refund window when a service problem you report can't be fixed, as our refund policy states. IPTV is a legal technology and the seller's rights decide the rest, which our page on IPTV and the law explains; we don't publish the rights agreements behind our channels.
Frequently asked questions
Is Showmax still available in 2026?
No. DStv's Showmax page, read November 10, 2026, says the Showmax streaming service was discontinued on April 30, 2026 at 23:59. Showmax Originals carry on inside the DStv Stream app, in a section named Showmax, and some titles didn't move because of licensing agreements.
Was Showmax free with DStv Premium?
Yes, while Showmax existed. DStv's article dated March 17, 2025 says DStv Premium customers already received Showmax at no extra cost, and Compact customers could add Showmax to their subscription at a discount.
Which DStv package gives access to Showmax Originals now?
DStv's FAQ says DStv Stream Compact and all higher packages. That FAQ still uses names from before September 17, 2026, when Compact customers moved to DStv Sports, and no DStv page we read maps the Showmax section to the new packages, so confirm with DStv before you pay.
What happened to Showmax subscribers when it closed?
DStv's article dated April 1, 2026 says eligible Showmax subscribers got trial access to DStv Stream Compact until June 15, with the option to stay on at R99 a month for 12 months, and that anyone who didn't move could ask for a refund of unused Showmax time.
Can I watch the Showmax section of DStv Stream in the US or Canada?
No. DStv's app FAQ says that outside the African countries where DStv operates there will be no content available, because its content rights don't allow it. We don't suggest ways around that, and Vivimate carries neither DStv nor Showmax content.
Sources
All read November 10, 2026, all on DStv's South African site.
- DStv: Showmax has a new home (closure date and time; FAQ on subscriptions, history and missing titles)
- DStv news: Showmax Originals have a new home on DStv Stream, dated March 19, 2026; Showmax subscribers to get trial access to DStv Stream Compact, dated April 1, 2026; How to watch your favourite Showmax shows on DStv Stream, dated April 20, 2026
- DStv help: Which DStv Stream package gives access to Showmax Originals content?, Why is Showmax being discontinued? and What is the DStv Stream App?
- DStv news: Second stream for all Premium, Compact Plus and Compact, dated March 17, 2025
- DStv news: New DStv Packages: Everything changing, dated September 8, 2026, and How to choose the right DStv package, dated September 17, 2026
Couldn't read: Showmax's own website, whose address did not load at all for us on November 10, 2026, so every Showmax fact here comes from DStv. No DStv page we read says which of the September 2026 packages carry the Showmax section, or lists the titles that didn't move.
New to the service? Start with our complete Vivimate guide — what it includes, what it costs and how to set it up.