Development Alert: Zambezi Magic To Get Second TV Channel On The DStv And Possible GOtv Platform Known As Zambezi Reloaded, Still No Word On The Playout Test

Last year, MultiChoice and M-Net unveiled a new general entertainment channel tailored for their DStv Easyview and GOtv Lite consumers, Magic Showcase. It featured numerous local programming from multiple M-Net channels across Africa for 16 hours a day.

As seen in the past month, MultiChoice seems to be duplicating this format on another TV channel which we now know to be Zambezi Reloaded. It could launch on channel 165 seeing as Zambezi Magic is on channel 162 alongside a batch of local TV channels.

As the name implies, Zambezi Reloaded will serve as a sister channel to Zambezi Magic rehashing several drama series and reality shows viewed on the main channel including Kopala, Zuba, Malawi Know Your Stars and surprisingly Mzansi Magic's Shaka iLembe.

With HONEY set to go dark on the platform by the end of October, we assume MultiChoice would be substituting the brand with Zambezi Reloaded. The only question would be whether this channel would be viewable in South Africa as consumers don't have access to the content.

On top of that, Novela Magic was accessible to the same consumers as HONEY particularly Access and following the termination consumers had been ripped away from Zuba and Mpali as MultiChoice opted to exclude Magic Showcase from Access in which select content can be viewed.

Playout Test

For several months, MultiChoice had been conducting tests on a channel known as Playout Test. Several readers had asked Insidus on various details pertaining to the mysterious channel and from what we can gather up this could be the Zambian based brand Munati Television.

Although there's no official confirmation, one of their older posts talk about a "Playout Test" and "DStv" so putting those two together leads us to believe this could be mystery channel on the i-Plate.

New Channel Alert (Rumour): Zambezi Magic To Rollout A Second TV Channel On The DStv And Possible GOtv Platform

Zambezi Magic is a general entertainment channel based in Southern Africa which is operated by M-Net and MultiChoice. It caters for audiences in Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe (excluding South Africa) with shows like Mpali and Zuba.

During the week, the pay-tv operator had begun work on a duplicate channel to Zambezi Magic what caught our eyes was how they opted to add the drama Kopala to the lineup considering it dates back to a few months while a show like Mpali can go as far as 6 years. 

If we had to guess, this new channel similar to Mzansi Wethu, Maisha Magic POA, Magic Showcase and kykNET Lekker will cater toward consumers who haven't been able to view the above-mentioned shows seen Zambezi Magic's inception to these markets in 2015.

While Zambezi Magic is sitting on channel 162, it wouldn't come as a surprise if this duplicate occupied channel 165 seeing as it is the secondary channel and also the fact that other channel numbers have been filled.

The only question at this point would be whether M-Net and MultiChoice would look into possibly adding Zambezi Magic+ to South Africa. Seeing as they ripped Zuba away from Access customers on Novela Magic and also the fact that they blocked Zambezi Magic from the region.