SuperSport Swahili, a 24-hour Kiswahili sports channel from MultiChoice, launched on Thursday 5 November on DStv channel 216 with selected Premier League matches for fans in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, MultiChoice said.
It sits on DStv Sports at KES 3,000 and Ultimate at KES 7,300, and on GOtv channel 570 in the Sports package at KES 3,000.
The channel has its own presenters, studio shows and weekly programming. It also streams on the DStv App.
SuperSport Swahili picks matches each week from several competitions
At launch the channel shows selected live matches from the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. It adds a number of matches from LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1.
Selected FA Cup and Carabao Cup ties, international football including Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, and Diamond League athletics and marathons complete the live line up. MultiChoice said matches are chosen each week from SuperSport’s sports properties, so the channel carries a selection and not full schedules.
Outside live football, the channel airs WWE Raw, SmackDown and UFC voiced in Kiswahili for delayed broadcast. It also shows Premier League Stories and The Big Interview dubbed into Kiswahili, plus highlights and repeats.
Crystal Palace v Hoffenheim opened the channel on 5 November
The channel opened with a UEFA Europa League match, Crystal Palace v Hoffenheim, at 20:45 EAT, or East Africa Time. Arsenal v Hull City follows on Saturday 7 November at 18:00 EAT, and Atlético Madrid v Barcelona in LaLiga on Sunday 8 November at 23:00 EAT.
AFCON qualifiers featuring Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya start on Friday 13 November. MultiChoice said all fixtures are subject to change.
Viewers on Select pay KES 1,500 more a month to reach SuperSport Swahili
MultiChoice names DStv Sports and Ultimate as the DStv packages that carry the channel, and GOtv Sports as the GOtv package. Khusoko reported on 26 October that DStv replaced its packages with four tiers from 5 November, priced monthly at KES 750, KES 1,500, KES 3,000 and KES 7,300. GOtv Sports also costs KES 3,000.
Ultimate costs KES 4,300 more than Sports each month, a Khusoko calculation. A viewer on Select, at KES 1,500, would pay KES 1,500 more to move to Sports.
The release gives prices in shillings only. It states no prices for Tanzania or Uganda and does not say whether current subscribers receive the channel at no extra cost.
Presenters and commentators bring Kiswahili voices to the channel
Ahmed Abdallah, Geoffrey Lea and George Embangile lead the presenters. Commentators are Ibrahim Masoud, Ansibert Mwombeki, Wilson Upete, Edgar Kibwana, Jemedari Kazumari and Aboubakar Liongo.
“Kiswahili is the language of the football conversation in East Africa,” said Abdallah, a SuperSport Swahili presenter. “Now we have a channel that gives that passion a home of its own, with live matches, studio shows and voices that fans know.”
Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ Senior Vice President of Sport Content for English and Portuguese speaking Africa, tied the channel to content strategy. “Localisation is a key part of our content strategy, bringing the sport that matters most to people in Africa, in a language that resonates with them,” Ramovha said.
Ramovha also pointed to AFCON 2027, which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania host jointly. Ramovha said the continent “has never been better placed to tell its story in our own languages”.
SuperSport already voiced Kiswahili commentary on major tournaments
MultiChoice said SuperSport delivered Kiswahili commentary on the Kenyan Premier League, the FIFA World Cup and AFCON before this launch. The new channel adds its own presenters and studio shows to that commentary.
The channel also plans a weekly Kiswahili magazine show, Saa Ya Michezo (The Sports Hour), for early 2027. It will add regional documentaries and a news section online, and runs social accounts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
The next date to watch is Friday 13 November, when AFCON qualifiers featuring Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda start on the channel. MultiChoice said fixtures may change, so the schedule needs a check that week.
