Best alternative and niche streaming platforms in South Africa

alternative, niche, streaming platforms, south africa

Sometimes the usual streaming giants, be it Netflix or HBO, just don’t scratch that entertainment itch. Fortunately, the internet is packed with alternative streaming options that you can enjoy in South Africa.

If you’re looking to go off the digital beaten track, here are some great streaming alternative platforms to check out.

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the internet’s top destination for anything anime. It features over one thousand anime shows and films, including classics such as Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and Bleach.

Beyond its selection of shows, it also has a massive variety of downloadable manga titles.

The anime streaming platform provides you with two main premium payment plans to choose from. The FAN subscription will cost you US$7,99 (~R126,22) per month. The MEGA FAN subscription will set you back US$9,99 (~R157,82) per month.

You can also grab an annual MEGA FAN subscription for US$79.99 (~R1 263,63) per year. That equates to a 16% discount in a 12-month cycle.

MUBI

If you’ve managed to exhaust your option on the major streaming platforms available in South Africa such as Netflix or Prime Video, MUBI might be your next best fix.

MUBI produces and theatrically distributes films by various emerging and established filmmakers. All of the content is exclusively available on its platform.

While its selection might not be as colossal as the other streaming giants’, its catalogue is meticulously curated to feature only the best in cinema. The platform’s mission is to cater for the true cinephile.

MUBI will set you back R199 per month. However, you can “save 42% with a yearly membership”.

BritBox

If you have a liking for British-produced content, look no further than BritBox. As the name suggests, this platform exclusively hosts British films and shows from popular UK channels BBC and ITV.

From the original Top Gear and The Office, to the award-winning Broadchurch and classics like Black Adder and Doctor Who, it sports some of the best and most popular content from British television.

To gain access to BritBox’s massive library of British content, you can either opt for the R99.99 per month or R999.99 per year packages.

Vodacom Video Play

Vodacom Video Play is aimed at smartphone users as many South Africans don’t have access to other streaming devices. Video Play is only available in South Africa and requires an active Vodacom cellphone number to sign up.

What makes its offering unique is the variety of subscription models that make content accessible to lower-income South Africans.

Firstly, it has a selection of free offerings that include The Bold and the Beautiful, and SABC shows Muvhango and Isidingo.

Then you can pay R5 per day or R25 per month to access the platform’s basic content paid content. These packages largely comprise Bollywood and Nollywood films, Christian channels, and a range of LGBTI+ content.

To access the full selection of content you can opt for the R25 per day or R99 per month packages.

This will provide you with access to “watch the latest movies, series, kids’ shows and music videos wherever you are”.

Curiosity

Curiosity’s selection of content exclusively consists of documentaries to help you “stay curious”. Its ever-growing library sports an impressive 2 400+ documentaries, including exclusives and originals.

If you like the sound of The Secrets of Quantum Physics, Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places, and The Rise and the Fall of T-Rex, then this is the platform for you.

From science and tech to history and philosophy, it’s an endless landscape of educational content.

Read more: Netflix price and plans in South Africa: Everything you need to know

Feature image: KoolShooters/Pexels

Wiehahn Diederichs
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