Netflix subscribers in South Africa are getting some of the best value for money if you compare the relative pricing and library of content around the world, an analysis by Comparitech revealed.
It showed that South Africans pay less than the global average for basic, standard, and premium Netflix plans. It also showed that the size of the library of content available in South Africa is quickly catching up to that of the United States.
Using data gathered from JustWatch and uNoGS, the number of movies and TV shows available on Netflix in a specific country is divided by the prices advertised for that country on the streaming service’s website.
This showed that South Africa consistently ranked as one of the top 10 countries for the most cost-effective Netflix subscription.
Comparitech also looked at the price of a Netflix subscription in South Africa relative to the average monthly wage in the country, and that changed the picture somewhat.
The price of Netflix in South Africa relative to the average income is much better than in countries like India and the Phillipines, and somewhat better than Peru and Indonesia.
However, compared to wealthier countries where a Netflix subscription may be much more expensive than in South Africa, the price relative to income is much more expensive.
For example, Switzerland has the most expensive Netflix subscription in the world — over 40% more expensive than the global average.
However, a Netflix Premium subscription in Switzerland is only 0.45% of the average monthly income.
In South Africa, where a Netflix Premium subscription is 37% cheaper than the global average, the subscription fee is 2.18% of the average monthly income.

Top 10 most cost-effective countries for Netflix Standard plans
The table below shows the ten countries with the cheapest average cost per title on Netflix Standard price plans.
Fluctuating exchange rates may have changed the rankings since publication.
While the rankings change slightly when looking at Netflix Basic and Netflix Premium price plans, it is mostly the same countries that feature in the top ten.
Thanks to a stronger Rand, South Africa has slipped lower on the rankings since Comparitech published its initial report. The table has been adjusted to take this into account.
MyBroadband asked Netflix if it intends to reduce prices in South Africa as a result of the stronger Rand.
“As Netflix subscription prices in South Africa are billed in local currency/rand, there are currently no plans to increase or decrease prices,” a spokesperson for Netflix told MyBroadband.
Top 10 most cost-effective countries for Netflix Standard price plans | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Library size | Price – local | Price – USD | Titles per dollar |
Argentina | 4737 titles | ARS 459 | $4.87 | 973 |
Turkey | 4303 titles | TRY 40.99 | $4.89 | 880 |
Brazil | 4641 titles | BRL 32.90 | $6.23 | 745 |
India | 5588 titles | INR 649 | $8.88 | 629 |
Philippines | 5992 titles | PHP 459 | $9.60 | 624 |
Colombia | 4399 titles | COP 26900 | $7.24 | 607 |
Indonesia | 6264 titles | IDR 153,000 | $10.71 | 585 |
South Africa | 5363 titles | ZAR 139 | $9.94 | 540 |
Hungary | 5926 titles | HUF 3190 | $11.16 | 531 |
Malaysia | 5610 titles | MYR 45 | $10.86 | 517 |
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