BBC Worldwide has today announced that BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First will launch on MultiChoice’s DStv platform in South Africa, making it the first pay TV platform in the world to launch all three of its new global genre brands. BBC Brit and BBC Earth will be available from 1 September 2015 and BBC First will follow on 18 October 2015.

The upcoming launch marks the debut of the brands on a new continent and follows the successful European debuts of BBC Brit and BBC Earth in Poland, the Nordics, Hungary, Romania and Turkey earlier this year. BBC First launched in Australia in mid-2014 and in Belgium and The Netherlands earlier this year. BBC Earth will launch in Latin America on September 1st and in Asia on October 3rd.

In South Africa, BBC Entertainment and BBC Knowledge will be replaced with BBC Brit and BBC Earth with an increased investment into new content, whilst BBC First will launch as a new channel in the region. The new channels will sit alongside BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies and BBC World News.

BBC Brit offers premium factual entertainment that is intelligent but irreverent. Male-skewing but with broader appeal, it blends expertise with entertainment and fact with fun. The channel will become the exclusive home of Top Gear and covers a rich variety of subjects: cars, science, adventure, business, life-changing moments, extreme characters, quirky eccentrics and comedy. BBC Brit will be available to DStv Premium, Extra and Compact customers on channel 120.

BBC Earth inspires audiences by sharing the incredible wonders of our universe. The channel showcases the work of the world’s foremost factual film makers as it seeks to take audiences on a thrilling journey of discovery. From the smallest creature under the microscope to the limitless expanses of space, BBC Earth brings viewers face to face with heart pounding action, mind blowing ideas and the wonder of being human. BBC Earth will be broadcast in HD and will be available exclusively to DStv Premium customers on channel 184.

BBC First is the home of premium, original British drama. Showcasing world-renowned, award-winning talent in front of and behind the camera, it delivers audiences the first chance to see stories that challenge, immerse and entertain, all with a unique British perspective. BBC First will be available on channel 119 exclusively to DStv Premium customers.

Paul Dempsey, President Global Markets at BBC Worldwide said: “BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First bring together some of the world’s biggest names and best programme-makers in three brilliantly curated, high quality channel brands. The channels capture what’s special about British TV and our South African launch marks an important step in the company’s global strategy as we continue to inspire audiences with distinctive, premium programming.”

Joel Churcher, General Manager and Vice President for Africa, BBC Worldwide commented: “South Africa is the first market in the world to receive all three new brands. The content hosted on these channels is designed to reach a diverse pan-African audience, reflecting a wide range of voices, ages and cultures. Our African viewers clearly have a deep affection for BBC programming, and as a leading content distributor, we will continue to deliver high quality, premium content to our channels for many years to come.”

Mark Rayner, Chief Operations Officer for MultiChoice South Africa commented: “Our DStv customers will be delighted with the addition of even more compelling BBC content. We’re constantly looking for ways to bring more value and premium entertainment to our customers – by being the first platform in the world to exclusively offer these three channels, just shows our level of commitment to that promise.”

Packed with brand new unmissable programming and A-list talent, the schedules for BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First will showcase the very best in quick witted entertainment and World-Class Factual programming from the BBC and leading UK independents. BBC Earth and BBC First will be available on DStv Premium and BBC Brit will be available to DStv Premium, Extra and Compact customers.

New and exclusive titles for South Africa on BBC Brit include:

• Youngers -A fresh and exciting new comedy drama set in the UK urban music scene, Youngers follows the journey of two teenage boys, Yemi and Jay, in their quest to break into the music industry.
• The Moaning of Life - Radio producer, author and TV presenter Karl Pilkington sets out in his own inimitable style to check out other cultures and experience how they face up to life’s big issues like happiness, death, careers, marriage and children.
• Duck Quacks Don’t Echo - Comedian Lee Mack presents a brand new panel show that explores bizarre and fascinating facts. Each week, three celebrity guests will offer an incredible fact for discussion and with some expert help they’ll attempt to prove to their fellow panellists – and the nation – that it’s true. 
• Life is Toff - Combining the charm of a sitcom with the candour of reality TV, Life is Toff visits Britain’s notorious aristocratic family, the Fulfords. This series tells intimate and surprising stories from the private lives of the Fulford family, across an extraordinary and momentous year.

The unmissable programming line-up for BBC Earth includes:

• David Attenborough meets President Obama - In this extraordinary television programme, President Barack Obama interviews Sir David Attenborough at the White House. During this candid meeting, they discuss the future of the planet, their passion for nature and what can be done to protect it.
• Life Story - The latest landmark series and ratings hit from the award-winning BBC Natural History Unit. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough the series delivers the highest quality images ever seen in a wildlife documentary. The series spans the globe telling the remarkable and often perilous story of the journey through life capturing extraordinary moments of resilience and tenacity and never seen before animal behaviours.
• Human Universe - Professor Brian Cox presents Human Universe; the story of humanity told through the greatest questions we’ve ever asked. Venturing into incredible places across the globe and drawing on the latest scientific theories, the series explores everything from the nature of consciousness and language development to the human need to search deeper into the unknown and our compulsion to discover alien life in the universe.
• Life Below Zero -This eye-opening series follows the drama and hardships experienced by four Alaskan households in different corners of this merciless territory as they battle to make it through a long, dark, freezing winter.

 BBC First will showcase hugely popular and critically acclaimed series including:

• Wolf Hall – based on Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker prize-winning novel, and starring Damian Lewis and Mark Rylance, this historical drama chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell, the son of a humble blacksmith who became King Henry VIII's chief minister, as he navigated the corridors of power in the Tudor court.
• Peaky Blinders - A brand new epic six-part gangster drama on BBC First, starring Cillian Murphy as a gangster operating in Birmingham, England, during the aftermath of World War 1.
• The Missing -An eight-part mystery thriller starring James Nesbitt as Tony Hughes, the father of a boy missing in France.When five year-old Oliver disappears while on holiday, it sets off a manhunt that will last for years to come.
•  Doctor Who – Exploding with epic and thrilling adventures, Doctor Who returns for a 9th series, starring Peter Capaldi as The Doctor and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald.