Video Streaming Services Face Off for Market Share in South Africa

Video streaming services are battling for a significant share of the South African market. Each platform offers something unique regarding pricing and the range of TV shows and movies supported.

The most popular platforms among South African Streaming fans are Prime Video, Netflix, Showmax, DStv, Britbox, Apple TV, Disney+, and Stream Premium.

Prime Video Dominates South Africa's Streaming Market

Prime Video has a sizeable library of titles, with a significant number being foreign programs. Data from JustWatch shows Prime Video offers 9,509 titles in South Africa. Of this number, 1,350 are TV series, while 8,159 are movies.

Prime Video charges R79 per month, a good price for 9,509 titles. The pricing makes it the best cost-friendly streaming service on a price-per-title basis, equivalent to less than one cent per title.

Netflix Ranks Second Amid Crackdown on Password Sharing

Netflix Standard ranks second to Prime Video with 6,348 supported titles. The number comprises 2,528 TV shows and 3,820 movies.

While the Netflix Premium plan is pricier, it has fewer titles. Instead, users get more concurrent streams and better video streaming quality.

The Netflix Standard plan costs R159 monthly, around two cents per title. The price is higher than Prime Video's despite supporting significantly fewer titles.

Netflix is also cracking down on password sharing to bolster revenues. The company started cracking down on password sharing in South Africa in July this year.

Netflix Standard supports up to two concurrent streams for devices within the same household. However, having a user pay for their account to be used in other locations is currently unavailable in South Africa.

Other Streaming Platforms Race to Catch Up

Showmax is the third-largest streaming platform in South Africa, with 601 TV shows and 1,477 movies. This streaming platform, which largely supports local shows, costs R99 monthly.

DStv Stream Premium supports 1,809 titles, comprising 680 TV shows and 1,129 movies, while Apple TV+ offers 201 titles at a monthly price of R124.99. Britbox, with 38 British titles, costs R99.99 monthly.

Like Netflix, DStv is also cracking down on password sharing. The process started in March last year, with the company restricting streams to one.

DSTV also has an option for South African users to purchase an extra stream at an additional monthly fee. However, this extra stream option is only available on mobile devices.

Disney+, which only entered the South African market last year, is also fighting for market share with over 1,000 movies, 1,500 library series, and more than 200 original titles. The Disney+ channel also includes the Star Portal with content from the 21^st Century Fox.

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