How do I watch Showmax on DStv?

What channel is Showmax on DStv?

First of all, Showmax is not a channel on DStv. 

Showmax is an internet TV streaming service that is accessible on internet-connected devices like tablets, laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, media players and smart TVs.

Anyone can sign up for Showmax – you don’t have to have DStv to use it.

DStv customers can also watch Showmax on their TVs via an internet-connected DStv Explora. If you have DStv Premium you get Showmax at no cost. Subscribers with all other DStv subscriptions – Compact, Compact Plus, Access and Family – get Showmax for a 50% discount.

Showmax has the world’s best shows and local favourites, including Showmax Originals like The Wife, The Real Housewives of Durban, The Real Housewives of Lagos and Sex in Afrikaans. First and exclusive shows like HBO hit series Succession and Euphoria, plus boxsets and more to binge-watch, and a huge catalogue of kids’ favourite shows.

Go to Showmax to sign up.

What Showmax deals are there for DStv subscribers?

DStv Premium subscribers

DStv Premium customers get Showmax bundled in with the cost of their Premium subscription. This means they get unlimited access to the massive catalogue of movies, series, kids’ shows and documentaries on Showmax at zero extra cost.

How does Showmax work with DStv Premium?

DStv subscribers with DStv Premium get Showmax on their DStv Explora (read our guide) as well as on up to five different devices that connect to the internet, from smartphones to PCs to tablets.

DStv Compact, Compact Plus, Family and Access subscribers

For only R49 per month, DStv Compact, Compact Plus, Family and Access subscribers get unlimited access to the full Showmax catalogue of series, documentaries, kids’ shows and movies. That’s a saving of R50 (Showmax normally costs R99 per month) and a whole whack more entertainment.

How does Showmax work with DStv Compact and with DStv Compact Plus?

Like DStv Premium customers, Compact and Compact Plus subscribers also get Showmax on their Explora (stream directly onto your big-screen TV! Find out how here) as well as four other devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles and PCs – pretty much anything that can connect to the internet.

DStv EasyView subscribers

While there is no monetary saving on a Showmax subscription for EasyView subscribers, there is a tool for added convenience. If you have a DStv EasyView subscription plus a Showmax account, and pay your DStv account via debit order, you can add your R99 Showmax subscription to your DStv account and only pay one bill per month.

This will mean paying your DStv and Showmax subscription at once, in a single debit order, so you won’t have any nasty surprises and won’t have to set calendar reminders at the end of every month to make payment.

How do I add Showmax to my DStv account in South Africa?

DStv customers can opt to pay for Showmax as part of their monthly DStv bill. If you’re a DStv Premium subscriber, there’s no cost for Showmax once you’ve added it to your DStv account.

For DStv Premium subscribers

1. Sign into your DStv account at www.dstv.co.za.
2. Select My Products. 
3. Choose the DStv Premium package. 
4. Click Add Showmax on the Showmax banner. 
5. Accept the quotation.

Once you’ve activated Showmax on the DStv Self Service website, you’ll be redirected to the Showmax website to sign up or sign in and start watching. 

For DStv subscribers on other packages

DStv Compact, Family, Access and Compact Plus customers qualify for a 50% Showmax discount, whereas DStv customers on Easyview have the option to add Showmax to their DStv bill, but pay the standard Showmax price. Here’s how to add Showmax to DStv Compact, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Family, DStv Access and DStv Easyview.

1. Sign into your DStv account at www.dstv.co.za.
2. Select My Products.
3. Choose a DStv package.
4. Click Link Showmax on the Showmax banner.
5. Accept the quotation.
6. Click Add Showmax to proceed. 

Once you’ve activated Showmax on the DStv Self Service website, you’ll receive confirmation that you’ve been successful. Then you’ll be redirected to the Showmax website to sign up or sign in and start watching. 

How do I add Showmax to my DStv account in the rest of Africa?

For DStv Premium customers

1. Login to your account here at www.DStvAfrica.com.
2. Locate the Showmax banner on your account dashboard.
3. Click ‘Activate’.
4. You’ll be prompted to create a Showmax account – click Create Account. If you already have a Showmax account, just sign in and start watching.

For DStv Compact Plus and Compact customers

1. Login to your account here at www.DStvAfrica.com.
2. Locate the 50% Off Showmax banner on your account dashboard.
3. Click ‘Activate’.
4. You’ll be asked to add Showmax for 50% off – click ‘Add to bill’.
5. Then you’ll be redirected to the Eazy Self Service payment portal.
6. Under Select payment option, choose ‘Once off payment’ to top up your DStv account with the balance of this month’s Showmax subscription.
7. Enter your bank card details and click ‘Save and Pay’.
8. Once payment is successful, select ‘Activate Account’ to start watching Showmax.

Add Showmax to your DStv bill from the My DStv app

1. Download the My DStv app (iOS or Android)
2. Select ‘Showmax on Us’, followed by ‘Activate Now’.
3. Start watching.

Once you’ve activated Showmax on the DStv Africa website, you’ll be redirected to the Showmax website to sign in and start watching. 

What if I am already a Showmax subscriber?

1. Sign in to the Showmax website.
2. Select My Account.
3. Manage Subscription.
4. Add to DStv.

For more information on how to add Showmax to your DStv account, click here.

Help, I’ve already added my Showmax account to another bill!

1. If your Showmax subscription is currently being billed through one of our partners (e.g. bank, cellphone network), you may not see all the normal payment options available to you on the Showmax website’s payment screen.
2. To cancel this type of subscription, contact the company that is billing you for Showmax (we, unfortunately, do not have access to their billing systems).
3. Once this is done, you will be able to see the full list of payment options available on the payment screen on the Showmax website. (This is where other partners that allow you to add Showmax to your billing with them will appear.)
4. Now you’re free to add Showmax to your DStv account. Follow the steps above, under “I’m already a Showmax subscriber”.

How do I watch Showmax on my Explora?

1. First, make sure your Explora is connected to the internet. To find out how, visit dstv.com/getconnected and select “DStv Connected Explora” from the slider in the middle of the page. (We recommend an uncapped connection of at least 10Mbps for the best viewing experience, and 2Mbps is the absolute minimum speed.)
2. To access Showmax on your Explora, push the blue DStv button on your Explora remote control.
3. Scroll to “Watch now” and select “Showmax”.
4. Navigate to the content you’d like to watch and push OK when you’ve found the show you’ve been looking for.
5. You will be prompted to sign in to your Showmax account.

Once you’ve signed in, there will be a 30-second countdown before the show is ready to watch.

What if I’m a DStv subscriber but don’t have an Explora?

The beauty of using Showmax on your Explora is that you stream shows directly onto your big TV screen without having to upgrade to a smart TV, so it’s definitely worth the investment.

But if you don’t have one, don’t worry: DStv Premium subscribers don’t need Exploras to enjoy the binge-fest that is Showmax. Simply sign up and then start watching on an internet-connected device. Watch on a smartphone or tablet by downloading the Showmax app – choose to stream or to download shows to watch offline later. The great thing about using Showmax on a mobile device is that you can watch your series while you’re on the go – on a road trip, in a queue, in a doctor’s waiting room, or on a plane. Another alternative is to access Showmax on the web browser of your computer or laptop.

What happens to Showmax when I downgrade my DStv subscription?

When you downgrade your DStv subscription, the price you pay for Showmax could change. But there’s no reason that you won’t be able to keep your Showmax subscription, no matter what you decide about DStv.

That’s because Showmax is not a channel on DStv. It is a streaming video on demand service and, while being a DStv subscriber gives you great deals on your Showmax subscription price, your Showmax subscription is not dependent on having DStv.

This means that even if you don’t have DStv, as a Showmax subscriber you’ll still get unlimited, all-you-can-eat access to exclusive Original shows, from The Real Housewives of Lagos and The Wife to Sex in Afrikaans, plus HBO shows like Succession and Euphoria, excellent movies including Promising Young Woman and Wrath of Man, daily express episodes of telenovelas such as The River, and a huge catalogue of kids’ shows, from Paw Patrol to Spongebob Squarepants.

Here is a guide to what will happen to Showmax if you downgrade your DStv subscription.

I’m a DStv Premium subscriber and I want to downgrade to Compact

As a DStv Premium subscriber, you get Showmax at zero additional cost.

As a DStv Compact or Compact Plus subscriber, you’ll get Showmax for only R49 per month.

This means that once you have downgraded from Premium to Compact or Compact Plus, you will have to start paying for Showmax.

However, you will only pay R49 per month – that’s a saving of R50.

The R49 for Showmax will be added on to your DStv bill every month. There is no need to change anything on your Showmax subscription – the charge will be added automatically.

I’m a DStv Compact subscriber and I want to downgrade to Family, Access or EasyView

As a DStv Compact or Compact Plus subscriber, you have been getting R50 off your Showmax subscription and have only been paying R49 per month.

When you downgrade to DStv Family or DStv Access, you will continue to pay R49 per month but if you downgrade to DStv EasyView, your R50 discount for Showmax will fall away, and you will pay R99 per month.

If you would like to continue paying your Showmax subscription via DStv, you will need to ensure that your DStv account is paid via debit order.

If you don’t want to pay for Showmax via DStv, simply go to the Showmax site and change your payment method from DStv Add to Bill to your preferred method of payment – debit or credit card, Showmax vouchers or having your bill added to another partner’s bill, such as Telkom, MTN or Vodacom.

Here’s how.

1. Go to www.showmax.com.
2. Sign in.
3. Click on your name on the top right corner of your screen if you’re using a browser on your PC or laptop. If you’re using the mobile app, click on the menu tab in the top left corner.
4. Go to My Account.
5. Cancel your existing payment method (DStv Add to Bill).
6. Click the blue Subscribe Now button.
7. Choose a new payment method.

The same goes if you choose to cancel your DStv subscription altogether.

For more on DStv packages, click here.

Why do I need a Showmax account if I have DStv Connect ID?

For one thing, we need to be sure you’ve accepted the Ts & Cs of using Showmax so that you can legally watch all the amazing shows. Also, having a Showmax account means you can access your fave series and movies on all your mobile devices, as well as via the DStv Explora.

Choose Showmax Mobile to stream on one device

If you prefer to chill with Showmax on your phone or tablet, Showmax Mobile could be perfect for you. Showmax Mobile costs just R39 per month, and allows you to view all the same great content as Showmax but on one mobile device only. Find out more here.

How much will I pay for Showmax Pro?

There are currently no special deals for DStv subscribers on any package for Showmax Pro or Showmax Pro Mobile. Find out all the details about Showmax Pro, including pricing, here.

Need more help? Go to the FAQ page on showmax.com.

There’s so much to watch