In a move confirmed by MultiChoice, BET Africa will officially shut down on January 1 2026, ending more than a decade of broadcasting on the continent.
The closure is part of a wider shake-up by parent company Paramount Global, which is scaling back its linear television operations globally — a trend that will see other channels such as MTV Base, CBS Reality and CBS Justice also being axed in South Africa.
BET Africa which is available on DStv channel 129 first launched in April 2015. Over the years, it became a home for both locally produced and international black entertainment, offering viewers a mix of dramas, telenovelas, reality shows, and movies that highlighted black culture and African-American content.
For many South African audiences, this will mark the end of an era. BET Africa offered a unique blend of entertainment, from African-flavoured dramas and telenovelas to US hits and culturally resonant storytelling that connected viewers across the continent. Its removal will leave a noticeable gap in DStv’s offering.
In the weeks leading up to the shutdown, the channel will air double episodes of its South African telenovela Black Gold starting December 22, to ensure viewers see the series’ conclusion before the lights go off.
MultiChoice clarified that although BET Africa and MTV Base will be discontinued as of 09:00 CAT on January 1 2026, subscribers will continue to have access to other Paramount-owned channels such as Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, NickToons, and MTV under new programming strategies.
However, Paramount says there are no plans to migrate BET Africa content to other channels for DStv subscribers in South Africa or the rest-of-Africa (RoA) region.
BROADER INDUSTRY SHIFTS
The shutdown reflects broader structural changes in how global entertainment companies are distributing content, shifting away from traditional linear TV toward streaming platforms and global feeds. For the African market, this means long-standing pan-African channels are being phased out.
For many fans, especially those who value shows spotlighting African and African-American cultures, this closure signals a potential pivot away from curated, culturally specific programming toward more globalized, one-size-fits-many content libraries. The impact may be felt most keenly in regions where streaming infrastructure or data costs limit access to non-linear content.
