Communal & Business DSTV Installations
One shared dish system for the whole complex, or the right set-up for your guesthouse, bar or hotel.
- 38 Google reviews from customers
- 3+ years Installing across the Western Cape
- Every tunerTested with a signal meter before we leave
- From R450 Call or WhatsApp for your price
How we work
- Site visit and written quote
- One feed to every unit
- Retrofits for existing complexes
- Maintenance contracts available
A complex with a dish on every roof and balcony looks untidy, is hard to keep aligned and gives the body corporate constant callouts. A communal system puts a small set of dishes and Smart LNBs in one place and feeds every unit through a multiswitch. Each household still gets its own signal feed and its own decoder.
We install and maintain communal DSTV in complexes and estates, student housing, retirement villages, holiday lets, guesthouses, bars, restaurants and hotels. For a single house, see DSTV installation. Every site is different, so we start with a site visit and a written quote. Call or WhatsApp 081 232 2249 to arrange it.
What we install
Communal and commercial work covers more than blocks of flats. Here is what we are asked for most.
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Communal systems for complexes and estates
Dishes and Smart LNBs on one mast or roof, a multiswitch and cabling to each unit. Every unit watches its own channels on its own decoder.
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Multiswitch and Smart Switch setups
A multiswitch splits the signal so each unit gets its own feed. We size it for the number of units and the cable distance, and leave room for extra units later.
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Retrofits
Fitting a communal system into a complex that already has individual dishes. We reuse conduit where it is sound, remove the old dishes and make good the fixings.
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Student accommodation
Houses and blocks where tenants change every year and dishes get moved or left behind. One system, one maintenance contact.
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Guesthouses, Airbnbs and holiday lets
Guests expect the TV to work the day they arrive. We set up a decoder per unit, tidy the cabling and test before the season starts.
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Bars and restaurants
Showing sport in a venue needs a commercial DStv subscription. We install the dish system and decoders, and the subscription is arranged through DStv.
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Hotels
Many rooms fed from one equipment point, with a clean cable layout that a technician can fault-find quickly.
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Retirement villages
Cottages and flats on one system, with a maintenance contract so a fault is found at the equipment point and not on each roof.
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Maintenance contracts
Scheduled checks of the dishes, LNBs and switches, and one number to call when a unit loses signal.
Working with the body corporate
A communal system is a body corporate decision. The usual path is that the trustees ask for quotes, owners vote at a meeting, the work is scheduled, and the cost is covered by a levy or a once-off contribution. We make that process easier.
We give the trustees a written quote that sets out the number of units, the dish and LNB layout, the cable routes and what happens to the dishes already on the roofs. We answer technical questions by phone or at the meeting.
Cable routes decide the price more than anything else. Accessible conduit is straightforward. A multi-storey block with none means drilling or trunking, which is why we price larger complexes after a site visit. On the coast, the mast and brackets are galvanised or stainless and the connectors weatherproof, so the system does not rust out. We take on complexes in Bloubergstrand and Table View and in Bellville and Brackenfell, among other areas.
Student housing, retirement villages and holiday lets
Student houses and blocks in Stellenbosch change tenants every year, and a dish on each roof gets moved, damaged or left behind. One communal feed, with a decoder per room or flat, gives the landlord a single system to maintain.
Retirement villages around Somerset West need TV that works, and need faults fixed fast, because residents are home all day. A communal system with a maintenance contract means a fault is traced at the equipment point and not by climbing onto each cottage roof.
Holiday houses in Hermanus and Struisbaai sit empty for months in salt air and then have to work the day guests arrive. We use stainless or galvanised fixings and weatherproof connectors, and test the system before the season.
What customers say
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The service person arrived 100% on time for our appointment and the DSTV problem was fixed within minutes. Thanks for your great service.
Nico KoekemoerGoogle review, a year ago -
Every moment of dealing with this team, from the 1st phone call to them leaving my premises after a clean, successful and problem-free installation was professional, friendly and a winner. I had the incorrect problem diagnosis but they arrived with all the tools and replacements for and instance.
June SterlingGoogle review, 3 months ago -
Thank you for the excellent service received from Digitech today in fixing my DSTV signal. Your technician, Warren, was friendly and efficient and of great help. I will strongly recommend Digitech to anyone in need of DSTV installation.
Estelle MeyGoogle review, a year ago
How a communal project runs
Site visit
We look at the roof, the cable routes and the number of units.
Written quote
You get a quote you can give to trustees or owners, with the layout, number of units and price.
Approval
The body corporate, owner or landlord signs off. We answer technical questions while that happens.
Installation
We fit the dishes, Smart LNBs, multiswitch and cabling, with weatherproof connectors outside.
Testing
We meter-test the feed to every unit before we hand over.
What it costs
No surprises: you get the price before we book, and before any work starts.
The price depends on the number of units, the cable routes, the roof access and how many dishes the system needs. Call or WhatsApp 081 232 2249 for a price. The written quote after the site visit gives the exact figure.
Send a photo of the dish, the fault or the wall on WhatsApp and we’ll come back with a price, usually within working hours.
Request a site visit
Tell us how many units there are, what type of building it is and where the roof access is. We visit, measure the cable routes and send a written quote. Call or WhatsApp 081 232 2249 to arrange the visit.
Communal & business DSTV questions
Straight answers to what people ask us most. Anything else, WhatsApp a photo and ask.
What is a communal DSTV system?
A communal system uses one set of dishes and Smart LNBs, usually on a shared roof or mast, and feeds every unit through a multiswitch. Each unit gets its own signal feed, so residents watch whatever they like on their own decoder. It replaces a dish on every roof and is easier to align, brace and maintain.
Does every unit still need its own DStv subscription?
Yes. The communal system only delivers the signal. Each household that wants DSTV arranges its own subscription and decoder through DStv, as they would in a house. Businesses showing DSTV to the public need a commercial subscription. We install the system, and DStv handles the subscriptions.
Can you retrofit a complex that already has individual dishes?
Yes. Retrofits are a common job. We survey the existing cabling and conduit, reuse what is sound, remove the old dishes, make good the fixings and connect every unit to the new system. We quote the cable routes separately where conduit is missing or blocked, so trustees see where the money goes.
How long does a communal installation take?
It depends on the building. A small multiswitch system for up to four units is often a one-day job. Larger complexes depend on cable routes and the number of units, so we give a schedule with the written quote after the site visit. Residents are told in advance when their unit will be off air.
Do bars and restaurants need a commercial subscription?
Yes. Showing DSTV in a venue open to the public needs a commercial subscription from DStv, not a home one. We install the dish, switch and decoders and make sure the signal is reliable, and we point you to DStv for the subscription. Call 081 232 2249 and we will explain the setup for your venue.
What does a maintenance contract include?
Scheduled checks of the dishes, LNBs, multiswitch and connectors on your site, with one number to call when a unit loses signal. The price depends on the size of the site and how often you want it checked, so call or WhatsApp 081 232 2249 for a price. Regular checks catch corroded connectors and shifted dishes before they become callouts. See also DSTV repairs.
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Need Communal & business DSTV? Call or WhatsApp.
Call or WhatsApp with your area and the problem, or send a photo of the dish. You get a clear price before we start, and a technician who arrives with the parts.
Mon to Sat, 07:00 to 17:00. Emergency callouts 24/7