All the streaming services you can watch for free in South Africa

South African residents on a budget have 11 free-to-watch streaming services from which to choose, giving them access to a broad range of content provided they have an active Internet connection.

As Internet access expands in South Africa, more residents are ditching traditional TV broadcasts in favour of streaming services. As a result, cinemas and traditional broadcasters are feeling the pain.

Multimedia and television journalism lecturer at the Durban University of Technology, Siphumelele Zondi, said cinema chains and pay-TV broadcasters are seeing declining audience numbers.

“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.”

His view aligns with that of Reach Africa sales director Leslie Adams. Adams said South Africa’s dominant pay-TV provider is following a similar trend observed by satellite broadcasters in Western markets.

South Africa’s communications department has also warned about the threat streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ pose.

“On-demand music and video online streaming services are seriously disrupting the industry globally,” it said in its annual performance plan for the current financial year.

In addition to major International players in the space, such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+, 11 streaming services are available for free in South Africa.

Those looking for local content can choose from providers like AfriforumTV, DStv Stream, eVOD, FreeVision Play, SABC+, or Viu, which all broadcast a range of content produced in South Africa.

AfriforumTV’s core programming is Afrikaans reality TV. However, it also shows news, school sports, documentaries, lifestyle shows, and general entertainment.

MultiChoice-owned DStv Stream offers a selection of free channels that users can watch without having an active DStv subscription. These include Al Jazeera, eNCA, and Channel O.

eMedia’s eVOD was one of the first free streaming services to launch in South Africa, offering various soaps dubbed Telenovas broadcast on E-tv.

It also gives users access to eVOD original movies and several older Hollywood films. Users can upgrade to eVOD Premium for R29.99 per month to access newer movies and TV shows.

South Africa’s state-owned signal distributor Sentech launched its streaming service, FreeVision Play, in June 2024. The platform lets users listen to local radio channels and watch local TV free of charge.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates a free streaming service called SABC+. Since the platform launched, the broadcaster has revamped the service twice, adding various new features and redesigning the user interface.

SABC+ users can watch live local TV channels broadcast on free-to-air television, as well as catch-up episodes of popular soaps and TV shows.

Hong Kong-based Viu offers limited SABC content in South Africa, as well as older Hollywood movies and TV shows. It also offers international content from Turkey, Korea, Scandinavia, and other markets.

There are five free streaming services available to viewers in South Africa that don’t focus on local content. These include Plex, Rlaxx TV, RugbyPass TV, Twitch, and YouTube.

All of the free streaming services available to people living in South Africa are listed below with brief content descriptions.