Showmax is an online subscription video-on-demand service that launched in South Africa on 19 August 2015. Showmax uses a localization strategy to take on established video-on-demand competitors with a focus on local content and partnerships with mobile telcos.
How much does Showmax cost? Here is the Showmax pricing for different packages
| Country | Showmax | Showmax Mobile | Showmax Pro | Showmax Pro Mobile |
| Australia | AUD 12.49 | AUD 6.25 | Not available | Not available |
| Botswana | BWP 93 | BWP 35 | BWP 212 | BWP 106 |
| Ghana | GHC 45.99 | GHC 16.99 | GHC 119.99 | GHC 59.99 |
| Kenya | KSh 760 | KSh 300 | KSh 2100 | KSh 1050 |
| Namibia | N$ 99 | N$ 39 | N$ 295 | N$ 149 |
| New Zealand | NZD 13.49 | NZD 6.75 | Not available | Not available |
| Nigeria | N 2900 | N 1200 | N 6300 | N 3200 |
| Mauritius | USD 7.99 | USD 2.99 | USD 26.99 | USD 13.99 |
| South Africa | ZAR 99 | ZAR 39 | R299 | R199 |
| Tanzania | TSh 20,000 | TSh 7,800 | TSh 46,000 | TSh 23,000 |
| Uganda | UGX 30,300 | UGX 11,499 | UGX 67,200 | UGX 33,600 |
| United Kingdom | GBP 6.75 | GBP 3.49 | Not available | Not available |
| Zambia | ZMW 160 | ZMW 72 | ZMW 432 | ZMW 216 |
| Rest of Africa | USD 7.99 | USD 2.99 | USD 17.99 | USD 8.99 |
| Diaspora | USD 8.99 | USD 4.49 | Not available | Not available |
*Showmax Pro is available in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comores, Republic of Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, DRC, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Réunion, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
How to get a 14-day free trial for Showmax
Sign up to Showmax with your credit or debit card and watch for free for 14 days.**
- Go to showmax.com.
- Sign up with your email address and create a password.
- Choose your payment method. Don’t worry, if you cancel within the 14-day free trial, nothing will be deducted from your card.
- Watch movies and series free for 14 days.
- Once your trial has expired, your card will be charged to keep watching Showmax. You will be billed once a month.
- There is no contract and you can cancel at any time.
**Please note: The Showmax Pro plan doesn’t have a free trial.
How to add Showmax to your DStv bill
DStv customers can opt to pay for Showmax as part of their monthly DStv bill. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, click here.
NB: The Showmax Pro and Showmax Pro Mobile plans can’t be added to a DStv bill for a discount.
Which devices support Showmax?
Access Showmax on virtually any device that is connected to the internet.
- Phone or tablet: Get the Showmax app to stream or download shows on your Android or iOS device.
- Laptop or computer: Go to www.showmax.com on your favorite web browser to stream.
- Smart TV: Stream Showmax on your smart TV or connect your laptop to your TV screen with an HDMI cable.
- Media streaming device: Use your connected DStv Explora, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Sony PS4 (SA only), or Xbox One to stream Showmax onto your TV.
- DStv Explora: The cost of your Showmax subscription is included in your DStv Premium membership, so you won’t pay a single cent. And if your Explora is connected to the internet, you’ll be able to stream movies and series from Showmax directly onto your TV through your Explora. Find out how here.
- Supported devices may differ from country to country.
- Live streaming on Showmax Pro is not available on gaming consoles or DStv Explora and is only on certain smart TVs.
- For the full list of supported devices, go to the Showmax website or read What devices can I use?.
How to control your data when using Showmax
Showmax offers two clever ways for you to manage your data spending.
- Download shows to watch offline: When you’re in a Wi-Fi zone, download episodes or movies on the Showmax app on your tablet or phone, and watch them offline later. Choose between four different download quality settings with specific file sizes – the lower the quality, the less data you will use for the download, and the less space the show will take up on your device.
- Bandwidth capping: Setting a bandwidth cap helps you use less data by automatically adjusting the streaming quality so that you don’t exceed a certain number of GBs per hour while streaming. This is really handy if you are on a data budget. The lowest quality uses just 50MB per hour, with quality that’s just fine if you’re watching on a mobile device. Find out how to use bandwidth capping here.
What is there to watch on Showmax?
What sets Showmax apart is that you can watch whatever you like, whenever you like. There are no ads, no interruptions, and no limits (except your self-control).
How much is a monthly subscription for Showmax?
Showmax standard plans:
R99 per month. Register 5 devices, and watch on 2 at the same time. Showmax Mobile.