Getting Windows 11 legally in South Africa — From free to R3,300

There are several legal ways to obtain Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 operating system without spending huge sums of money.

According to GlobalStats Statcounter, the 3-year-old OS had grown its market share to around 35% of Windows-powered machines by November 2024.

That is an increase of roughly eight percentage points from a year ago.

It still has some distance to go before knocking its much-loved predecessor — Windows 10 — off its number one spot.

The 9-year-old Windows 10 was still being used on about 62% of Windows machines by November 2024.

However, its dominance may not last much longer, as it is reaching its end-of-life in October 2025.

From that date, Microsoft will no longer offer software or security updates for Windows 10 users.

Continuing to run Windows 10 on your PC could expose it to viruses, malware, and other cybersecurity threats.

You also won’t be getting new features or performance improvements.

The slow uptake of Windows 11 is not unusual. Aside from inertia, there was significant controversy around its minimum requirement of a TPM 2.0 chip, which prevented many newer machines from upgrading to Windows 11.

Regardless, after three years of continuous improvements and refinement, Windows 11 has been generally well-reviewed.

Digital Trends has provided detailed breakdown of all Windows 11’s improvements and exclusive features for those curious to know more.

It also borrows much from Windows 10 that worked well, so newcomers won’t feel overwhelmed or out of their depth when booting up Windows 11 for the first time.

While single-user Windows 11 licences are available for R3,299, most people with a computer already running Windows 10 do not need to pay to upgrade.

If your computer currently runs an activated version of Windows 7, Windows, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

Even users with systems that don’t meet Microsoft’s minimum Windows 11 requirements — including trusted platform module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) support — can bypass this using instructions from the company itself.

Users with older PCs running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 must first upgrade to Windows 10 to switch to Windows 11.

If your PC is running the latest version of Windows 10 with all its updates, you are likely to have received a prompt to update Windows 11.

If you previously ignored it, you can go to the Windows Update page in the Settings app to begin the download and installation.

Users who have not been presented with the option to update to Windows 11 can use one of three methods to install the OS.

The installation assistant, installation media creation tool, and image-based installation software are available on Microsoft’s website.

If you need to bypass the minimum Windows 11 requirements, refer to this official Microsoft Support page for instructions.

If this method does not work, several other reputable tech publications provide useful guides detailing the steps — including Tom’s Hardware.

Bear in mind that Microsoft recommends against this and that some features of Windows 11 may not perform as intended due to the lack of TPM 2.0 support.

Alternative options for new systems

If you are upgrading to a new PC, you likely won’t have to worry about a Windows 11 install.

Unless you are building it yourself or buying a secondhand or ultra-low-budget machine, it will come with an activated version of the OS already installed.

If you are building your own system or none of the aforementioned routes worked, another option to consider is the single-machine licence.

Also known as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or delivery service partner (DSP) licences, these are tied to a particular PC and cannot be transferred to another system.

They are most commonly available from official OEM distributors, major PC retailers, and PC builders.

In some cases, they may only be offered with a full system build or at least one PC part.

The most affordable listings we found at the time of publication were available on Wootware — which charged R2,199 for a Windows Home single-machine licence and R2,699 for a Windows 11 Professional licence.

Cheap product keys sold online

There are many companies, individuals and websites selling Windows 11 product keys for much cheaper than Microsoft or major retailers.

Some of these can also be found on major online marketplaces like Takealot.

While these so-called “grey market” keys may work, it is important to note that Microsoft does not approve of them for personal use.

YouTuber ThioJoe provides a detailed yet clear explanation of the different types of Windows 11 keys and activations.

The cheap keys are a subset of “volume” keys sold at a discount to businesses that may need a larger number of keys than the typical user, including some that can be used to activate multiple licences.

Grey market keys are often obtained illegally or through dubious methods, including through current or former employees of these organisations.

The key itself is tied to a licence agreement that restricts its usage to that organisation.

While Microsoft does not currently enforce these agreements, it could and is fully authorised to remotely deactivate the licences associated with these keys.

Lastly, it should be noted that generic keys, which are available for free and openly shared online — even on Microsoft’s website — have no benefit in terms of activation.

These keys will only active a licence through a Key Management Service (KMS) hosted by an organisation.

Some of these keys may also need to be re-authenticated every 180 days to keep Windows activated.