Moving house is stressful enough without finding out on the first night that the TV does not work. The good news is that DStv moves with you more easily than most people expect. The part that needs planning is the dish.

We could not find a single DStv page that covers every moving scenario, so treat this as a practical guide and confirm account details with DStv before you move.

What stays and what travels

The dish, cable and mounting are fixed to the building. When you sell, the dish normally stays with the property unless you and the buyer agree otherwise. If you rent, ask your landlord before taking anything off the wall or roof.
The decoder and its remote belong to you and go with you. If your decoder uses a smartcard, keep it with the decoder.
Your DStv account stays yours. DStv says each account is unique to the customer, so it does not stay behind with the house.

Update your address with DStv

A moving-company guide says the registered usage address may need updating after a move, either by phone or on DStv's self-service site. We could not find DStv's own page for a standard decoder, so ask DStv when you call, and do it before moving day so it is not another job for the week you arrive.

Change of ownership is a different thing

If you are selling your decoder, giving it away, or you inherited or bought one second-hand, DStv has a separate change of ownership process. It is done through an online form, and DStv says you get confirmation within 48 hours. You do not need it just because you are moving house with your own decoder.

Packing the decoder

Switch it off properly and unplug it from the wall. Models with a hard drive, such as the Explora, do not like being moved while running.
Take a photo of the back of the decoder before you unplug anything, so you remember what went where.
Pack the remote, power lead and HDMI cable in the same box as the decoder, so they do not get lost among the kitchen things.
Wrap the decoder and keep it upright. It is a small computer, and bumps in the back of a truck are not kind to a hard drive.

At the new house: what to check

If the new house already has a dish, do not assume it is ready to use. A few things to ask:

Is the dish still pointing the right way? Wind, trees and builders move dishes. Our guide to signs your dish needs realignment lists what to look for.
Is the view still clear? In the Western Cape the satellite sits low in the sky to the east-north-east, so a tree or a neighbour's extension in that direction can block it. We explain why in which way a DStv dish points.
How many TVs was it set up for? If you use Extra View, you need a dish and LNB that can feed both decoders and a separate cable to each room. Our Extra View connection guide explains why.
What shape are the cable and connectors? An old installation may have weathered connectors that fail on the first rainy day.

If you are renting or buying, check the view to the east-north-east before you commit, in the same way you would check the kitchen.

Do not take the dish down yourself

Taking a dish off a roof is a good way to fall off the roof. Even if it comes down safely, it will not work on the new roof until it is aligned again with a signal meter, because a tiny movement loses the satellite. If you want your own dish moved, use an installer.

Streaming instead of a dish?

If your new home has reliable, uncapped fibre and you only need one or two screens, a move is a natural time to ask whether you still need a dish. We cover the trade-offs in DStv dish or DStv Stream.

Make it easy on yourself

Book an installer for the week you move in, not after the first weekend without TV. Tell us the address, how many TVs you want connected and whether a dish is already on the roof, and we will tell you what is needed. We do DStv installation in Hermanus and Cape Town, as well as dish alignment for houses that already have a dish. Contact us or WhatsApp for a free quote.

Moving House? What to Do With Your DStv Dish and Decoder