If you didn’t know it yet here is a big sad fact: Zimbabwean DStv customers pay significantly more than their South African counterparts. Not do we pay more, we actually pay more for less using a currency that is far more stable than the South African Rand. Those south of our border end up getting more channels, more competition and free installations! Now they are also getting one more thing that we don’t have: Black Friday love.

Normally South Africans pay R819 per month for DStv Premium about USD $54 and have to fork out R3 699 (US$244) for the Explora decoder. Now as part of DStv’s Black Friday competition they are offering customers a 12-month contract deal that will see customers paying R999 (about US$65) for both the decoder and premium. This deal comes with free premium too. Outrageous when you consider that US$65 won’t even get you DStv premium north of the Limpopo. Let alone getting an Explora which sells for eye-watering prices of around US$350 here.

Component	Individual costs	Black Friday deal	Black Friday Deal in USD	What Zimbabweans Pay
DStv Premium subscription per month	R819	R999	$65.74	$75
DStv Explora with installation	R3 699	Included	$244	$350
Total 12-month price	R13 527	R11 988	$789	$1 250

So yes, being a Zimbabwean will cost you US$461 more just to be Zimbabwean. No wonder why Zimbabweans are instead opting to illegally subscribe to South African DStv. You make significant savings if you do that. Even if you buy the decoder locally you save an astounding US$120 just by paying South African premium. We didn’t even factor in the absurd amounts of commission and bank charges you face when paying locally. These are likely to go higher if you factor in the punitive 2% tax that government likes to charge on everything.