Cheapest way to stream FIFA World Cup matches in South Africa
The SABC and Vodacom have launched affordable data products for the SABC+ streaming platform, which offers free access to all of South Africa’s FIFA World Cup matches.
SABC+ will screen 34 of the tournament’s matches, including all of South Africa’s matches, at no cost on its app and website.
However, people without access to a fixed broadband connection of some kind at home must still pay for mobile data.
Through this partnership between the state broadcaster and the telecom giant, Vodacom subscribers can stream the games on SABC+ at reduced data rates.
“This partnership empowers South Africans to engage with live coverage and on-demand content through specially provisioned and discounted data rates,” the SABC said.
It said that these new data bundles were specifically designed for the SABC+ app, which Vodacom customers can access through its USSD platform by dialling *135#.
“By leveraging Vodacom’s expansive leadership network, SABC Plus users can now access a wide range of affordable data offerings,” the broadcaster said.
“This will ensure they stay connected to every match, highlight, and moment of the action, even while on the go.”
The broadcaster said that the partnership with Vodacom reflected a shared commitment to promoting universal access to public service content so anyone can enjoy the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“This is a game-changing and perfect partnership, South Africa’s Champion Network and South Africa’s National broadcaster coming together,” it said.
The new data bundles are built on previous partnerships between the two firms, as Vodacom zero-rated news and education content on SABC+ in March.
SABC+’s official X/Twitter account at the time announced that Vodacom users could now access certain content on SABC+ at no data cost.
“Stay informed without the worry. Vodacom users can now access trusted news on SABC+ with zero data cost, keeping you connected to the stories that matter,” it said.
Vodacom customers who use the SABC+ platform can start watching the SABC News, Al Jazeera, and SABC Education live channels without using any mobile data.
The SABC+ platform has grown quickly following its relaunch, with the broadcaster revealing in February 2026 that it now has over 2 million registered users.
New viewership records amid FIFA World Cup
SABC+ experienced a surge of users at the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the opening match between Bafana Bafana and Mexico.
By the end of match, it had recorded 18 million login attempts. The surge in traffic caused an outage of the SABC+ platform.
According to the broadcaster, a last-minute update it ran, which increased its stream encryption, meant that all users had to re-log into the platform.
“This resulted in system instability and a second reset before the platform was stabilised,” the state-owned company said last week.
“The scale of demand last night was unprecedented. SABC+ recorded a peak concurrency of 477,000 simultaneous users, nearly three times its previous record.”
Over 2.4 million viewers were recorded on the SABC+ platform by the end of the match, setting a new total viewership record.
Users on social media expressed their displeasure that the SABC+ platform was down due to login issues, with some reporting issues several hours before the game.
The SABC notified users they would have to log in again only minutes before the match’s start, which contributed to the surge in traffic.
“We recognise that the app update notice issued shortly before kick-off added to viewer frustration,” it said.
“We acknowledge that the timing of this communication fell short of what our viewers deserve.”
The broadcaster said its technical teams conducted a full review of the incident and would implement measures to strengthen platform capacity ahead of future matches.
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