South African households have many video streaming services offering millions of hours of movies and TV series on demand, including several free options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the past decade, Internet broadband connectivity and affordability have improved substantially, making these platforms more accessible for many South Africans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both fixed and mobile broadband providers have frequently told MyBroadband that video streaming apps are their biggest data traffic drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PwC Africa’s Entertainment and Media Outlook 2024-2028 estimated there were roughly 3.4 million video streaming subscribers in South Africa by 2023, a roughly 150% increase from five years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It anticipated that this would grow by another 1.6 million subscribers over the next five years, exceeding five million in 2028. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Between 2019 and 2023, entertainment and media revenue in video streaming in South Africa increased from R1.8 billion to R4.5 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is expected to grow to roughly R6.8 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%. By comparison, traditional TV’s revenue is expected to struggle at a CAGR of roughly 0.4%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By 2023, nearly half of all South African households had access to fixed broadband, enabling liberal use of data-intensive services like video streaming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, PwC believes that 4G and 5G expansion will be the biggest role players in bringing more viewers to streaming in the next few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The expansion of fibre networks into lower-income neighbourhoods could also significantly impact video streaming uptake in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With at least 18 different video streaming services currently operational in South Africa, people connecting to the Internet for the first time have a significant selection of platforms to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MyBroadband assembled a list of major video streaming services available in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to major international platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+, there are also numerous local options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MultiChoice’s Showmax is not only the biggest local service but also one of the country’s oldest subscription video streaming services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While neither Netflix nor Showmax have shared subscriber figures, multiple market research firms have estimated these are the two leading platforms in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they do not offer free tiers, the two services have affordable mobile-only subscriptions to cater for those customers with smaller budgets or those who primarily access the Internet on a smartphone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n