Netflix, the online TV network and streaming service, has launched in South Africa. The service was made available in more than 130 countries on Wednesday night. The announcement was made by Reed Hastings, the co-founder and chief executive of Netflix at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas.
“Today you are witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network. With this launch, consumers around the world -- from Singapore to St. Petersburg, from San Francisco to Sao Paulo -- will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously -- no more waiting. With the help of the Internet, we are putting power in consumers’ hands to watch whenever, wherever and on whatever device,” said Hastings.
What do you get?
Through the Netflix service, you have access to a range of Netflix original series, as well as a catalogue of licensed TV shows and movies. Furthermore, during the course of this year Netflix aims to release 31 new and returning original series, a variety of original feature films and documentaries, as well as stand-up comedy specials and 30 original children’s series.
Netflix is available on most devices that have an internet connection, such as personal computers, tablets, smartphones, Smart TVs and game consoles. The service will automatically provide users with the best streaming quality on the available bandwidth.
The service is available for $7.99 per month (about R127 at today’s exchange rate). If you are hesitant about signing up for an online streaming service such as Netflix, the company is offering one month free for you to try out the service for yourself. To sign up for the free trial, simply go to the Netflix website, www.netflix.com/za/.
Other streaming services
There are a number of other video on demand (VOD) services available in South Africa, these include ONTAPtv.com, ShowMax, FrontRow and VIDI. The prices for these other services are:
| Streaming service | Monthly fee* |
| ONTAPtv.com | R89 |
| ShowMax | R99 |
| VU (FrontRow) | R99 |
| VIDI | R99 |
| Netflix | $7.99 (about R127) |
Fees accurate on date of publication, 7 January 2017.
From the above table it is evident that Netflix is the most expensive streaming service available in South Africa, with ONTAPtv.com being the cheapest. Furthermore, ONTAPtv.com also offers a one month free trial. ShowMax offers a seven day free trail, as does VIDI.
For more information on Netflix, click here.
For more information on VOD services and the TV licence requirements, click here.