Netflix, Showmax, and Disney+ Black Friday plans in South Africa

Popular streaming services in South Africa, including Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video have been quiet about their plans for Black Friday this year.

Disney+, on the other hand, recently offered a promotion to South African customers. MyBroadband understands it doesn’t have plans for Black Friday.

MyBroadband asked prominent streaming services in South Africa, such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and MultiChoice’s DStv Stream and Showmax, about their plans for Black Friday this year.

Only MultiChoice responded, saying it plans to offer Black Friday deals this year but adding that it is too early for the broadcaster to share details.

Disney+ ran a promotion between 12 and 27 September 2024, where new subscribers could pay R49 per month for the first three months before the company implemented its price hikes.

At the same time, the company confirmed that it would be increasing its monthly subscription fee from R139 per month to R159 per month, representing an increase of 14.39%.

While Netflix hasn’t said whether it will offer a streaming promotion in 2024, it is running a Black Friday event on its online store.

“Our highly anticipated Netflix Black Friday event promises exclusive discounts, limited-time offers, and an array of entertainment-inspired merchandise that will delight fans of all our beloved series and movies,” the page reads.

“From Stranger Things and Funko POP! to Squid Game merch and everything in between. This sale is of epic proportion, and it won’t be around for long.”

Among the deals are discounted Stranger Things and Squid Games merchandise, including clothing, posters, figurines, and various products from other popular Netflix shows.

Black Friday occurs on the day after Thanksgiving in the US, with this year’s annual sales event falling on 29 November 2024.

Representing the start of the Christmas shopping season, many stores offer significant discounts on their products and extended operating hours for shoppers to make the most of the deals.

Streaming poaching TV and cinema customers

The expansion of Internet access in South Africa has resulted in many of the country’s residents moving away from traditional TV and taking up streaming instead.

This is according to multimedia and television journalism lecturer Siphumelele Zondi at the Durban University of Technology, who added that traditional TV isn’t the only platform threatened, as cinemas are also losing customers to streaming.

“As South Africans are continuing to get a lot more Internet access at home, you’re finding a lot more people getting access to these streaming services,” said Zondi.

“It’s not just television that’s struggling here. Cinema chains have also said that they are struggling. Ster-Kinekor in South Africa has shut down some of its cinemas.”

“Nu Metro has said it wants to diversify and go into gaming too because streaming services are also taking away their customers as people are no longer going to the cinema to watch a movie. They’re sitting at home and watching that movie,” he added.

According to Zondi, traditional broadcasters have also felt the impact on their audience numbers, and Reach Africa sales director Leslie Adams agrees.

Adams said MultiChoice-owned DStv follows a similar trend to major Western markets.

“DStv is following a trend that we’re seeing in the US and Western Europe, where streaming services are eating some of their lunch,” said Adams.

He said streaming services are attractive to many viewers as they enable them to tailor content to their viewing preference and provide the flexibility of cancelling and resubscribing when customers choose.

“Your interests will evolve and change and it may be very periodic, but now the option is available to you to just turn on and turn off,” said Adams.