All about StarSat TV Channels, Packages and Customer Contact Details

StarSat takes pride in describing itself as Africa’s leading TV broadcaster. A subsidiary of StarTimes, which is a Chinese media company known for its strong presence in Africa, StarSat is operated by On Digital Media. Many may be tempted to conclude that the South African direct broadcast satellite television service came into existence in 2013, this is not true. StarSat has been broadcasting since the 1st of May 2010, it was known as Top TV and only rebranded as StarSat on the 31st of October 2013.

Banking on the fact that satellite television has become a must-have for almost all homes, StarSat offers a very vast range of channels spread across multiple packages to cover the need of viewers. From movies and TV shows to sports, news, non-fiction programming, and documentaries, StarSat has a lot to offer the middle-class viewers.

StarSat Channels List Across Its Five Packages and Their Prices

The satellite television service has its channels spread across five packages. Below is a breakdown of the packages, how much it goes, and a list of the channels obtainable thereof.

1. Max Package

No. of Channels: 121
Price: R299 Per Month

If you want everything StarSat has to offer, then go for the Max package. You will have to part with R299 each month for the subscription but it is worth it as it is the satellite television service provider’s premium package with 121 TV channels to watch.

2. Super Package

No. of Channels: 87
Price: R209 Per Month

The StarSat Super package is for those who would love to pay a little bit less for a premium package. Next to the Max package, its subscription fee is R209 per month and it offers over 70 channels spread across a vast range of programming.

3. Shembe Package

No. of Channels: 50
Price: R129 Per Month

Following Super is the Shembe package which goes for R129 per month. Even though StarSat markets Shembe as a package with over 60 channels and with a dedicated Shembe channel, we can only guarantee 50 channels.

If Shembe UnYazi, a channel run by Nazareth Baptist Church is important to you, then this is the package to settle for.

4. Special Package

No. of Channels: 55
Price: R109 Per Month

The most affordable of StarSat packages, the Special package would cost you R109 each month for the subscription. While it is reasonably priced, this package offers at least 55 channels spread across various programming.

5. Indian Package

No. of Channels: 6
Price: R109 Per Month

Designed for Indian viewers and anyone interested in Indian content, this package is an add-on package with six dedicated channels that offer the best of Bollywood productions, Indian glamour, news, and programming that revolves around topical issues.

Apart from the Max package, you can only get Zee CINEMA, the Hindi satellite movie channel, on this package. Like the Special package, the price is R109.

List of All the Channels on StarSat TV Indian Package

COLORS TV | CH 552
GLOW TV | CH. 570
NDTV | CH. 567
ST BOLLYWOOD | CH. 551
STARLIFE | CH 550
ZEE CINEMA | CH. 556

Comparing DStv Packages, Channels, and Prices to What StarSat Offers

Owned by MultiChoice, DStv is undoubtedly a leading, direct broadcast satellite service provider in Africa. It was launched in 2014 and has grown to be the dominant name in the pay television industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its subscriber base has grown to over 18.9 million households and the company has not slowed down a bit. It has continued to expand its frontiers, showcasing compelling local and international content to its users.

Like StarSat, DStv offers multiple channels across several packages. And, given the fact they are a popular name, it is only natural that people have a hard time deciding which company to patronize.

StarSat’s Packages Versus DStv’s

From the foregoing, it has been established that StarSat has five packages. This is lesser when compared to DStv’s seven – Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, Access, EasyView, and Indian.

StarSat’s Channels Versus DStv’s

As listed above, StarSat’s premium package (MAX) has 121 channels but DStv’s Premium has 157 channels. The Compact Plus and Compact have 141 and 124 channels respectively. Compared to its equivalent on StarSat which is the Super package, DStv takes the lead as Super has 87 channels.

Also, DStv stays on top if we must compare its Family package to StarSat’s Shembe. The former has 91 channels and the latter, 50. StarSat’s Special package has 55 channels and DStv’s Access, 67. In addition to that, DStv’s Indian package with 29 channels is more than StarSat’s 6. EasyView of DStv has 36 channels.

StarSat’s Subscription Fees Versus DStv’s

The DStv Premium package goes for R819 each month while Compact Plus and Compact go for R529 and R399 respectively. The Indian package costs R395 and Family, R279. Access and EasyView are the most affordable of the DStv packages; respectively, they go for R110 and R29.

With the above, it is clear that SartSat is the company to go with if you are looking for less pricey home entertainment. Its premium package goes for R299 per month and it is a good alternative for DStv.

Here’s Why StarSat Is a Decent Alternative to DStv

StarSat takes pride in regarding itself as an alternative network and rightly so. This is because it offers good satellite entertainment that measures up to what DStv has to offer and at an affordable price. From local channels to those dedicated to kid, music, documentaries, sports, news channels, movies, and series, the network caters to every need for home entertainment.

For sports broadcasts, there are channels dedicated to broadcasting games and those that will help you keep up with happenings in the world of sports. For kids, there are channels like Jim Jam, Baby TV, Mindset, and more. Channels like Magic, Kiss, and Classica takes care of the need for music just as there are multiple channels for movies and series.

Viewers who are interested in documentaries have channels like Discovery Science, IDX, Animaux, CGTN Documentary, and Nat Geo channels to explore.

Can DStv Dish Be Used for StarSat?

As some would prefer to hack into satellite television transmission and enjoy the content without paying the subscription fee, direct broadcast satellite service providers have embraced signal encryption also known as scrambling. In a nutshell, what this does is that it inverts signals, transposes, or encodes transmission from the satellite so that it becomes unintelligible for a receiver not equipped with the right set of descrambling devices.

Also, a DStv dish wouldn’t ideally work for StarSat as the satellites for both companies are located at different positions. While DStv’s satellite is located 68 degrees east and thus requires a DStv dish to face northeast, the StarSat satellite is at 5 degrees east and requires the dish to face north-west.

But then, satellite dish optimization is a thing so DStv dish can be used for StarSat. Just as you can use one satellite dish to connect multiple LNBs, you can use a DStv dish for StarSat but the LNB must be aligned to StarSat configuration and reception position to access StarSat content.

The Various Ways to Contact StarSat

Headquarters and Customer Experience Centres

The company has its headquarters at Block C, Riverview Office Park, Halfway Gardens x, 100 Bekker Road, Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa.

If you must talk to one of their customer help staff, you can visit any of their six Customer Experience Center listed below. Their operating hours are 8 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Saturday.

1. Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal: 140 Chief Albert Luthuli St Pietermaritzburg 3201.

2. Station Plaza Shopping Center, Western Cape: Unit F18B Seventh Ave Mitchells Plain, Cape Town 7785.

3. KCT Mall, Western Cape: Shop 46 Walter Sisulu Rd, Khayelitsha, Cape Town 7784.

4. Phoenix Plaza, KwaZulu Natal: Shop 75, 19 Parthenon St Starwood, Phoenix 4068.

5. Chatsworth Centre, KwaZulu Natal: Shop 167, 17 Joyhurst St Westcliff, Chatsworth 4092.

6. Trade Route Mall, Gauteng: Shop L1A, Ground Floor, Nirvana Drive corner K59, Lenasia 1827.

Send an Email

The email address is [email protected]. StarSat would get back to you when they can.

Give Them a Call

If you don’t have the patience to send an email and wait for a response, you can call StarSat on 011 582 9988. It is the fastest way to reach them and their call centre is open every day from 8 AM to 8 PM.

All about StarSat TV Channels, Packages and Customer Contact Details

StarSat Channels List Across Its Five Packages and Their Prices

1. Max Package

List of All the Channels on StarSat TV Max Package

2. Super Package

List of All the Channels on StarSat TV Super Package