Tyla’s Showmax concert to reach millions more on DStv

On Saturday, 18 January 2025, Showmax delivered another African first with the flawless live stream of Tyla’s electrifying performance at the sold-out SunBet Arena in Pretoria. 

On X afterwards, Tyla declared it, “My fav show yet.”

Now, this history-making event will reach millions more. The spectacular show airs on demand on Showmax from Thursday, 30 January 2025, in celebration of the Amapiano superstar’s 23rd birthday. The hour-long concert will also air on DStv on Mzansi Wethu (channel 163) at 20h30 on Saturday, 1 February 2025 with a repeat on Tuesday, 4 February 2025 at 16h00. Mzansi Wethu is included in all DStv packages from Access and up. Tyla Live will also appear on other DStv channels across the continent. 

From the comfort of their own homes, Tygers will skip the queues and get all-access entry to the sold-out, once-in-a-lifetime event. Cameras will escort them along the red carpet, hosted by Kat Sinivasan and Moozlie, into the packed crowd, filled with Showmax stars from the likes of Adulting, Youngins, The Real Housewives, and Born Into Fame. They’ll see Tyla’s fellow artists at Sony out in force, including Shekhinah, Nia Pearl, Langa Mavuso, and producers ShaunMusiQ & Ftears, alongside players from the Betway Premier League. It’ll be the best view in the house of Tyla twerking on stage as she sings hits like Water, Jump, Truth or Dare and Push 2 Start.

This was the last South African concert in Tyla’s homecoming tour. The ‘pretty girl from Joburg’ had a lot to celebrate with her fans, including wins at the Grammy, BET, and MTV Music Video Awards, not to mention more than 1.6 billion streams of her chart-topping, self-titled debut album last year. 

Tyla Live was produced by Black Swan Media with technical support from SuperSport’s award-winning operations team. Leveraging the power of Peacock technology, the landmark event wasn’t just about the concert; it was a statement of what’s possible for African entertainment. 

“This was a technological feat,” says Yatish Narsi, Chief Marketing Officer for MultiChoice and Showmax South Africa. “Scaling to support viewers across 44 countries simultaneously required robust preparation, war-room coordination, and a tech team working around the clock. It’s a game-changer for African artists who have rarely managed to tour the continent. We’re now taking this incredible concert to millions of DStv viewers, making it an event that lives beyond the live stream.”

Gayton McKenzie, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, also made an appearance on the red carpet, saying, “Tyla is the first and the biggest but I’m telling you, as time goes by, if Showmax is intentional about making sure that our talent gets showcased to the rest of Africa, and the rest of the world, everybody’s going to watch it.”

Watch the event recap

Showmax users took to social media to express their excitement at being able to watch #TylaonShowmax. 

Showmax subscribers can also look forward to a bumper January line-up, including:

• Local hits like Youngins S3, Soft Life, The Real Housewives of Lagos and Adulting S3, which kicks off this Saturday, 25 January 2025
• Rotten Tomatoes’ Best Movie of 2024, Dune: Part Two, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya
• Popular series like The Day of the Jackal, Yellowstone S5 Part 2, Power Book II: Ghost and The Real Housewives of Orange County S18.

Showmax is available to DStv Premium customers at no extra cost and at a discount for other DStv packages. More details on channels and times will be available soon.