Whilst Kwese TV is embattled in a legal case to operate in Zimbabwe with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), DStv subsequently is taking it to its own advantage to shape up its own house by first of all reducing its monthly subscriptions as from tomorrow (25 September). But is this genuinely in liaison with customer expectation or it’s just now starting to feel the heat of a new and competitive player in a field that it had monopolized and tormented for a very long time? Well, I choose the latter.
As a customer, research has demonstrated that perceived trustworthiness includes three elements: ability (are you competent?), integrity (are you honest?), and benevolence (do you care about my interests?). The message is clear: only if a business signal benevolence clearly – indicating that they care about my interests as a customer – people reciprocate, leading to long-term and trust-building relationships. Trust will be built only when clients perceive that benevolence, truly felt, is underlying the decisions and actions of their service provider. DStv is like a partner who is caught cheating and only gets to say ‘I am sorry, not because its means it, but merely because it got caught’.
DStv lowering its monthly prices does not change a real painful factor that most Zimbabweans are facing of miraculously scrounging for hard cash to transact with MultiChoice Zimbabwe, which does not accept direct payments. A number of banks are demanding the elusive United States dollar and an extra commission to process DStv subscriptions for locals as more plastic money payment avenues are being closed, sidelining a number of customers.
One major reason people received Kwese TV with an open arm was an appreciation of new exciting content. Remember Content is King. Due to lack of competition, DStv has constantly received a lot of negative complaints from frustrated customers. It has been accused of providing overly priced services, repetitive shows and content which is not worth paying for.
| DStv Bouquets | New Monthly Subscription (as from tomorrow) $USD | Current Monthly Subscription $USD |
| Premium | 65 | 72 |
| Compact Plus | 40 | 47 |
| Compact | 25 | 28 |
| Family | 17 | 17 |
| Access | 11 | 11 |
| DStv Lite | 7 | |
However, if you notice there hasn’t been any reductions on the Family and Access Bouquets.
For Econet Media having the infrastructure is one thing, but Kwesé TV’s success depends on their ability both to acquire high-quality and unique programming at an affordable price.
One major question still remains in our minds as customers, how convenient is this price reduction for us considering that DStv still only accept the elusive foreign currency in a country awash with bond notes, that are now even scarce?
Never ever compete on prices, instead compete on services and innovation. Look forward to my next article with regards to the quote.
