DStv and 1Life are ready to welcome customers, celebrities and celeb-oholics to The Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg for the annual DStv Mzansi Viewer’s Choice Awards (#DStvMVCA).

Taking place Saturday, 14 March, the awards will see some of Mzansi’s biggest hitmakers take the stage, as DStv and 1Life celebrate the local personalities that made waves over the past year.   

According to Simon Camerer, Chief Customer Officer at Multichoice South Africa, DStv relishes opportunities to create platforms for local artists to showcase their talents – and the #DStvMVCA is the ultimate platform to do just that. “South Africa is rich in talent – that’s why we sought to celebrate talent across the board,” he says. “The #DStvMVCA recognises everyone from musicians to sports personalities, DJs to actors – and as the biggest broadcaster in Africa, there is no better brand than DStv to be able to shine a spotlight on that talent.”

As host of the event, Mzansi’s very own style superstar Minnie Dlamini-Jones is looking forward to serving as the glue that brings the show together. “The #DStvMVCA is the only award show of this magnitude that celebrates everyone – musicians, actors, presenters, TV shows, athletes, all the way to ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” she says.

“This year’s show promises to be spectacular with incredible performances for the whole family, and I encourage all to tune in for the biggest celebration of Mzansi’s talent.”

Bringing the best of Africa together

Now in its third year, the #DStvMVCA represents a significant investment by DStv, Africa’s greatest storyteller, and 1Life. According to Thabisa Mkhwanazi, Executive Head of Marketing at Multichoice South Africa, it’s an investment DStv is honoured to make.

“We continue to invest in the #DStvMVCA and recognise our local stars because it enables us to do three things,” Mkhwanazi says. “It affords us the opportunity to listen to our viewers and understand what the enjoy; bring talent on board and celebrate their biggest moments – which were some of the biggest moments on our TV screens that year; and it allows us to fulfil our passion as Africa’s greatest storyteller to move the local entertainment industry forward.”

According to Mkhwanazi, there have been great strides made in recent years to elevate the work of local stars, and that work is key to enabling DStv to tell the best stories in Africa. It is for this reason – to recognise the hard work Mzansi’s local stars are putting in to their crafts – that the #DStvMVCA was launched. 

“DStv understands that there is no better recognition for artists than knowing they were celebrated by the people who watched them on TV, listened to them on radio and genuinely engaged with the work they put out,” Mkhwanazi says. “That is the reason we host the #DStvMVCA every year – to recognise to the stars who enable us to produce and broadcast good content for our valuable customers.”

Celebrating the customer

The #DStvMVCA also presents a significant opportunity for DStv to engage with customers. In fact, for the first time ever, the 2020 #DStvMVCA will be attended by thousands of lucky DStv customers who received surprise tickets at absolutely no cost to them. Says Camerer, “We love hearing from our customers and enjoy rewarding them for their ongoing loyalty to us. Similarly, we recognise that the #DStvMVCA is a great platform for our customers to participate in the content we create and share.”

According to Camerer, customer participation in the voting process offers DStv valuable insights that inform the broadcaster’s plans for customer service in the future. “By voting for their favourite personalities, customers are expressing interest in the content they enjoy and the celebrities that resonate with them. This insight is valuable to DStv and the work we do for our customers, and that is why we will continue to reward our loyal customers for their participation,” Camerer says.

Plus, #DStvMVCA is a great opportunity to make good TV, Camerer adds. “Making good TV has always been the core of what we do, and that’s why the #DStvMVCA will be a show like no other – broadcast live on Mzansi Magic and made available to all DStv customers as part of the DStv Now Open Weekend.”

Looking ahead

As Africa’s leading digital entertainment company, Multichoice South Africa is constantly looking at ways to keep its offering fresh and relevant. That’s why, in addition to introducing streaming options for the 2020 #DStvMVCA main event, customers can also stream the red carpet build-up on DStv Now. 

“We’ve also introduced brand-new categories and new talent within those categories,” Mkhwanazi says. “Couple that with fresh faces, timeless favourites and epic performances – and we know that this year’s awards show will be unlike anything we’ve hosted before.”

But what is next for one of Mzansi’s premiere awards shows? 

Asked whether the #DStvMVCA will be held for years to come, Camerer responds confidently: “I don’t see a reason why not.”

“We love celebrating talent and receiving feedback from customers – and, as of this year, we’ve also broadened our audience to include our loyal customers. It’s a significant investment by DStv but it’s one we’re happy to make because everyone wins, so I look forward to seeing how this event will develop in the years to come,” Camerer concludes.

A celebration like no other, the awards will bring legendary artists such as Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, Yvonne Chaka-Chaka and Steve Kekana. Supa Mega, AKA will be setting the stage alight with his hip hop hits, for the Mzansi masses. Viewers can also expect to see hitmakers Jobe London and Mphow69, DJ BigSky, Luude Deejay & Sbhanga. Labantwana Ama Uber hitmakers Semi Tee, Kammu Dee & Miano will also be showcasing their talent on the DMVCA stage. Also on the lineup is Limpopo’s finest star Makhadzi, who continues to inspire many with her success story. The Matorokisi singer will be joined by Master KG. And, no stranger to the local entertainment and music scene, multi award-winning musician and businesswoman DJ Zinhle, will also be performing!

To find out more about the DStv Now Open Weekend, click here. 

To watch Mzansi’s favourite celebrities travel The Road to the #DStvMVCA, click here.

• The DStv Mzansi Viewer’s Choice Awards presented by 1Life takes place 14 March, 2020 at The Dome in Johannesburg.
• DStv customers can tune in to Mzansi Magic (161) & Mzansi Wethu (163) at 19:00 to catch it live
• All DStv customers, across all packages, can tune in to the awards via DStv Now