Showmax is an online video streaming service similar to Netflix, available across Africa, Europe, and a few other countries, owned by MultiChoice, the parent company of DSTV and GoTV. The streaming service, available online and on mobile, lets you watch live TV shows like Big Brother Naija, as well as on-demand movies, Series, and TV shows, on your smartphone, Smart TV, gaming consoles, Windows or Mac computers, and other devices. In this article, you will discover all there is to know about Showmax subscription and price.
Showmax is the best streaming service for African content, boasting the largest and superior library of Nigerian, South African, Ugandan, Ghanaian, Kenyan, and African Movies, Series, and TV shows. Their programming is also more respectful of African culture. Want to see the best of Nollywood movies? Showmax is a great choice.
Do you want to live stream the most popular reality TV shows in Africa? Showmax is also your best streaming service.
As a large number of audiences now watch more live videos online and on mobile than ever, rather than being stationed at a spot, streaming services are now gaining in popularity.
Showmax offers live streaming of local news and live sports as well as video-on-demand (VoD) services that enable you to stream or download a large collection of TV Series, Movies, Documentaries, and Kids’ Shows.
You can watch Showmax via a mobile app on your smartphone and tablet. It also has dedicated apps for Apple TV, Chromecast, DStv Explora, Smart TVs, Gaming consoles, and more. You can also watch on your PC, Mac, laptop, or even mobile phone via the browser at www.showmax.com.
To better understand how it works, let’s dive in.
What Is Showmax?
Showmax is an online live and on-demand video streaming service that gives subscribers unlimited access to a wide range of Movies, TV Series, TV Shows, Live TV, Live News, Live Sports, and more.
The streaming service was launched in August 2015 with the goal of establishing a video-on-demand platform for local content in Africa. Today, the service is available in over 43 countries across Africa, as well as a few in Europe, Asia, and Australasia. Showmax is a part of the Multichoice group, a subsidiary of Naspers.
Over the years, the streaming service has spread its reach to audiences in different countries (even outside Africa), which makes it a direct competitor to leading global video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, not just in Africa, but around the world.
Showmax Subscription Packages
Showmax is available in three subscription packages and two bundles tailored to suit your budget and preferences. These include a full package that supports multiple devices, a more affordable mobile-only version available on smartphones and tablets, and a Premier League package.
All Showmax packages and bundles are available in Africa. Showmax Entertainment and its mobile-only subscription are not available outside Africa for obvious reasons. Here are all Showmax Subscription packages and bundles with their prices and countries where they are available:
1. Showmax Entertainment
The Showmax Entertainment plan offers you access to thousands of local and international series, movies, and kids’ shows to stream and download. It is more of a video-on-demand service with live streaming of a couple of popular reality TV shows like BBTitans, BBNaija, and BBMzansi. Live News channels seem to have been dropped in the latest Showmax update.
This subscription plan offers a full HD quality viewing experience with support for up to 5 registered devices. With this subscription plan, you can watch Showmax on your smartphone, Smart TV, tablet, gaming consoles, and your Windows and Mac computers.
Note that, although you can register up to five devices, you can only watch on two devices simultaneously. You can either stream or download to watch offline later.
ShowMax Entertainment costs 99 ZAR, 4500 NGN, 550 KES, 59 GHC, and 20000 UGX monthly in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda, respectively. The subscription costs $5 in the rest of Africa. DSTV subscribers get a 50% discount on this plan.
This plan is available free to DSTV Premium subscribers. You can access this plan in every country where Showmax is available.
2. Showmax Entertainment Mobile
ShowMax Entertainment Mobile is just like the Entertainment plan, but as the name implies, it is for mobile devices. It is a more affordable, limited edition streaming service for smartphones and tablets.
It offers the same movies, series, and kids’ shows as the Entertainment plan. The limitation is that, unlike the Entertainment, where you can register up to 5 devices and stream on two devices simultaneously, you can only register and stream on one device with Showmax Entertainment Mobile, and that device must be either a smartphone or a tablet.
ShowMax Entertainment Mobile costs 50 ZAR, 2000 NGN, 27 GHC, 10000 UGX, and 200 KES monthly in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya, respectively. The price is $3 in the rest of Africa. Showmax Entertainment Mobile is available in all Showmax countries.
3. Showmax Premier League Plan
The Showmax Premier League Plan enables you to stream all Premier League live matches on your mobile phone. This is great for football fans, as you are just interested in watching football and sports. This plan is only available on mobile.
ShowMax Premier League Plan costs 99 ZAR, 3600 NGN, 55 GHC, 16000 UGX, and 450 KES monthly in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya, respectively. The price is $4 in the rest of Africa.
4. Showmax Entertainment + Premier League Bundle
Showmax also offers a bundle that combines the Entertainment Plan with the Premier League Plan, enabling you to get both at a premium. Paying for both plans separately should cost 8,100 Naira in Nigeria (i.e., 4,500 + 3,600), but when you buy this bundle, you get both for 6,500 Naira, a total of 1,600 Naira discount (or 20% off).
With this bundle, you enjoy all the thrills of the Entertainment as well as the Premier League on the go.
Watch exciting TV shows, TV Series, Movies, and Entertainment on the Entertainment plan, and watch live Premier League matches on mobile with the Premier League plan.
You can register up to 5 devices, such as your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or Smart TV. Note that you can only stream on two devices simultaneously. The Premier League plan is only available on Mobile.
ShowMax Entertainment + Premier League bundle costs 150 ZAR, 6500 NGN, 105 GHC, 29000 UGX, and 800 KES monthly in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya, respectively. The price is $8 in the rest of Africa.
5. Showmax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League Bundle
ShowMax also offers another bundle that combines the Entertainment Mobile plan and the Premier League plan. You can only register and stream on one device, which must be either a smartphone or tablet.
Apart from the limitation of only being available on mobile and accessible on just one device, you get the same experience as the Entertainment plan. You can stream movies, TV series, TV shows, kids’ shows, as well as live Premier League matches.
ShowMax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League costs 120 ZAR, 4,500 NGN, 75 GHC, 21,000 UGX, and 520 KES per month in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya, respectively. The price is $6 in the rest of Africa.
Showmax Pricing
The Showmax pricing plans are not fixed. Prices vary by country and are often quoted in the local currency.
The streaming service currently has three subscription packages and two subscription bundles.
Here are some of the subscription pricing in some countries:
Showmax Price
Showmax offers three subscription packages: Entertainment, Entertainment Mobile, and Premier League. Here are Showmax Subscription prices:
Country |
Showmax Entertainment
|
Showmax Entertainment Mobile |
Showmax Premier League |
| South Africa | ZAR 99 | ZAR 50 | ZAR 99 |
| Kenya | KES 550 | KSh 200 | KSh 450 |
| Nigeria | NGN 4500 | NGN 2000 | NGN 3600 |
| Ghana | GHC 59 | GHC 27 | GHC 55 |
| Uganda | UGX 20000 | UGX 10000 | UGX 16000 |
| Botswana | 79 BWP | 39 BWP | 60 BWP |
| Namibia | 99 NAD | 50 NAD | 99 NAD |
| Zambia | 140 ZMW | 75 ZMW | 110 ZMW |
| Tanzania | 14000 TSh | 7000 TSh | 11000 TSh |
| Rest of Africa | $5 | $3 | $4 |
ShowMax Bundle Price
Showmax offers two bundles, namely the Entertainment + Premier League bundle and the Entertainment Mobile + Premier League bundle. Here are the Showmax Subscription Bundle Prices:
Country |
ShowMax Entertainment + Premier League Bundle
|
ShowMax Entertainment Mobile + Premier League Bundle |
| South Africa | ZAR 150 | ZAR 120 |
| Kenya | KES 800 | KES 520 |
| Nigeria | NGN 6500 | NGN 4500 |
| Ghana | GHC 105 | GHC 75 |
| Uganda | UGX 29000 | UGX 21000 |
| Botswana | 110 BWP | 80 BWP |
| Namibia | 150 NAD | 120 NAD |
| Tanzania | 19800 TSh | 15000 TSh |
| Zambia | 200 ZMW | 149 ZMW |
| Rest of Africa | $8 | $6 |
To get an update on the local prices of all plans and bundles in your country, along with other special benefits they offer, you can log in to showmax.com.
You can pay for your Showmax subscription with your debit card and credit cards (MasterCard or VISA). You can pay via the MyDSTV App, JumiaPay, MTN MoMo, QuickTeller, etc. Payment via PayPal is available in some countries.
You can also subscribe to the streaming service via your telecom service provider in some countries, such as in Nigeria (MTN and Glo) and South Africa (MTN, Vodacom, and Telkom).
Countries Where You Can Watch Showmax
You can watch Showmax in over 43 countries in Africa, as well as a few countries and territories in Europe, Australasia, Asia, and the Americas. Nigeria and South Africa are its biggest markets in Africa, with the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia its major markets outside of Africa.
Showmax is the best subscription video-on-demand streaming service in Africa. It boasts the best selection of Nigerian, South African, and African TV shows, Series, and Movies. The company’s African heritage also means its programming will resonate more effectively with the African audience and be more accurate and respectful of African culture.
In Africa you can stream Showmax in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Namibia, Liberia, Madagascar, Botswana, Zambia, Benin, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Guinea, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Carbo Verde, Chad, Gambia, Senegal, Comoros, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Niger, Reunion, Eswatini, Mali, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, São Tomé and Príncipe, Togo and lot more.
In Europe the service is available in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Andorra, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Luxembourg, Monaco, and San Marino, Isle of Man, Jersey, Gibraltar, and Guernsey.
In Australasia, you can watch Showmax in Australia and New Zealand, and in Asia, the streaming service is available in Indonesia. The service is also available in British overseas territories like the Cayman Islands, Pitcairn Islands, and the Falkland Islands.
How to Watch Showmax Outside Nigeria, South Africa, Africa
Some of the best and most premium African content on Showmax or the service itself is blocked outside Africa. This is because, like most streaming services, they offer different streaming catalogs for each country in accordance with the dictates of rights owners.
For example, you can only stream popular TV shows like BBTitans, BBNaija, and BBMzansi in Nigeria, South Africa, and the other 43 supported African countries, as well as a few countries outside Africa, like the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
This means that if you travel outside Africa regularly and want to stream on Showmax, you will need a good VPN like ExpressVPN and Surfshark to swap out your travel destination with your country of origin or another country where the content you want to watch is available on the streaming service.
Best VPN for Watching / Streaming Showmax Outside Nigeria, South Africa, and Africa
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is another top-rated VPN service. The service offers servers in South Africa or Kenya. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee. You get best-in-class encryption with AES 256. This service also offers you the best-in-class privacy with private DNS.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is a good option if you want to pick South Africa as your location, as that is the only relevant DSTV country. You can connect up to 6 devices simultaneously.
3. Surfshark
Surfshark is a fast, reliable, and secure VPN that supports unlimited devices. It is the perfect choice for watching Nigerians and Africans who are located abroad and want to unblock exclusive Nigerian and African content from local streaming services.
4. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is one of the best VPN for Showmax. With this service, you can watch Showmax from anywhere in the world. Just pick a server in a country where the content you want to stream is available. You can pick servers and IP addresses in Nigeria or South Africa, as well as the United Kingdom.
5. Ivacy VPN
With over 3500 servers in more than 100 locations, Ivacy VPN is one of the best VPN providers as far as coverage is concerned. It is also a good VPN for Nigeria.
In Africa, the service boasts of 62 servers in 4 DSTV countries, namely: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Seychelles.
6. PureVPN
This is another option with good coverage in Africa, boasting 69 servers in four DSTV countries on the continent: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Angola. PureVPN supports 256-bit encryption, p2p tunneling, and can be used with up to 10 login accounts.
Showmax FAQs
How to Download ShowMax
You can download ShowMax for Android and iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV) at the Play Store and App Store, respectively.
How Can I Download From Showmax To a Laptop?
The sad news is that the Showmax app does not support laptops because it lacks a download option.
Showmax downloads are only Mobile-ready using the app on supported iOS devices for iPhone and iPad, and also Android smartphones and tablets.
However, you can stream your favorite shows on your laptop and watch them directly. You do this using a browser. Just type showmax.com on your browser and press enter, and you will be able to watch all the best Movies and TV shows on your laptop.
How Much Data Do You Need To Download?
Data consumption for downloading or streaming a video varies depending on the video’s length and quality.
Basically, a 30-minute-long video might take between 80MB and 500MB, depending on your choice. Of course, you can reduce video quality to reduce data consumption.
How Many Series Or Movies Can I Download At A Time?
The answer still falls back to the amount of storage capacity on your device.
Practically, you can download up to 25 shows at a time. To properly make use of the space on your device, it is advisable to download with low or standard quality.
Note that downloaded content can only remain on your device for 30 days before it is automatically deleted.
How Can I Watch Live Sports On Showmax?
Basically, adding a sport to Showmax is new, and there are a lot of glitches involved. You need to upgrade to ShowMax Premier League first.
One of these is the data consumption of the site. Though looking forward to seeing when data becomes affordable to all in Africa.
So that the big dream about the streaming of live sports will not enter Waterloo.
But for now, to keep satisfying the audiences, streaming live sports is their next big fish to catch.
However, the sports section is available on most Showmax apps and platforms, except for a few, such as Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation.
How Do I Watch Live TV Channels On Showmax?
You can also watch live TV channels on ShowMax. The list includes local channels at least in Nigeria. Of course, live TV channels available will vary from country to country.
In Nigeria, the following live TV channels are available:
- NTA International
- Silverbird TV
- Channels TV
- AIT
If you pay for the Entertainment plan, you can watch both local and international channels. Namely:
- NTA International
- Silverbird TV
- Channels TV
- AIT
- NewZRoom Afrika
- Euronews
- AfricaNews
- Trace Urban
- Trace Gospel
This is a great way to catch up with local and international news while on the move. You can also watch Big Brother Naija live on the app.
How Can I Install the Showmax App On My Smart TV?
The following guides will help you install the app on your smart TV.
Since smart TV differs, the steps for installing them are also different.
Samsung Smart TV
- Ensure that your smart TV’s firmware is up to date.
- Locate the smart TV interface on your smart TV.
- Browse to the smart TV application store and search for Showmax.
- Then install the free app.
LG Smart TV
- Ensure that your smart TV firmware is up to date.
- Go to the smart TV interface on your smart TV
- Browse to the smart TV application store and then search for Showmax
- Lastly, install the free application.
Hisense Smart TV
You don’t have to stress yourself to install the Showmax app on this type of smart TV.
The new model of Hisense smart TV comes with the app pre-installed.
How Can I Watch Showmax On Gaming Consoles?
To be one of the leading subscription video-on-demand services, Showmax launched its app for the world’s best-selling game console, Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4).
This allows the users of PS4 to enjoy the full package of the app.
However, this app is presently available in South Africa only. And subscribers enjoy these unlimited benefits with just a takeaway cost as low as R99 per month.
Notably, the app on the PS4 allows bandwidth capping, which helps to decrease the amount of data consumed by reducing the video quality.
To watch Showmax via PS4, the step-by-step guide will help you
- Sign up at www.showmax.com
- Go to the PlayStation Store on the PS4.
- Search for Showmax.
- Then install the app.
- You can always sign in with the same email and password you used when you signed up.
How Do I Switch Plans?
To switch from one plan to another, the following guides should be obeyed.
- Sign in on the website.
- Select my account from the top menu icon under your username.
- Select Manage subscription.
Worthy of emphasis, each plan offers different features and benefits, and to this effect, it is advisable to look carefully before settling for one.
However, once the payment is made for switching, the action is instant.
Note that any subscriptions from your last plan are changed into credit vouchers and are saved in the payment method section of that same page.
And as a result, your voucher can automatically be restored when switching back to your previous plan.
How Do I Change My Password?
To have your password changed on the app, the guides should be followed
- Sign in on the website.
- Then select my account on the top menu bar, right below your username.
- Select account details to change your password.
- Enter your present password and the new password you want to change it to.
- Select the new password
How Do I Control Data Usage On Showmax
Since data usage is one of the key considerations of using Showmax, the service offers two ways to manage it.
Bandwith Capping
With the bandwidth capping setting, the fear of exceeding the expected data limit is eliminated.
Bandwidth capping works in such a way that it automatically adjusts your streaming quality so that you don’t go beyond a specific amount of data while streaming.
It supports three capping levels. No capping will consume about 3GB per hour, Medium capping will consume around 700MB per hour, and Low capping will consume around 300MB per hour.
Reduce Download Quality
You can reduce the amount of data consumed by lowering video quality. You can choose the following download quality:
- Low Quality (360p)
- Standard Quality (480p)
- Good Quality (576p)
- High Quality (720p)
- Super High Quality (1080p)
Download Shows To Watch Offline
Another way to control the use of data is to download your series and movies in areas that support free Wi-Fi service.
These downloaded shows can be watched when you go offline.
How Do I Cancel My Showmax
To stop using the app, the following steps will guide you on how to cancel it
- Sign in on the website.
- Select my account on the top menu bar under your username.
- Then select manage my subscription.
- Now, click on Cancel my subscription.
Popular Series On Showmax
A happy heart does good like a medicine, and that is exactly what you get.
It provides hundreds of series to its subscribers, leaving them smiling.
Here are some of the popular series offered by Showmax
- Game of Thrones
- Succession
- House of the Dragon
- Suits
- Insecure
- Billions
- Barry
- The Winter King
- The Last of Us
- MRS DAVIS
- Warrior
- Shades of Blue
- Silicon Valley
- Little Fires Everywhere
- True Detective
- Empire
- The Good Fight
- Ambitions
- SuperStore
- Grey’s Anatomy
- House
- You
- Sex and the City
- Mr. Robot
- Girls
- The young people
- This is Us
- Motherland
- Project Blue Book
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Shuga
- Ready to love
- Jara
- Rig 45
- Burden of truth
- Die Byl
- Tali’s wedding diary
- The real housewives
- Farmer wants a wife
- Mr. Pickles
- Ballmastrz
- Mafanato
- Unmarried S2
- Pieces of Us S1-2
- Every woman has a story
- Line of Duty S1-4
- LoveIsland UK S1-6
- Downton Abbey S1-6 and a lot more
Popular Movies On Showmax
- Father of the Bride
- Shazam
- Transformers
- Mission Impossible
- Marlowe
- Wrath of Man
- Knives Out
- Babylon
- Wonder Woman
- Assasin Club
- Jack Reacher
- Megan
- City of Lies
- The Mummy
- Fast & Furious 8
- Dog
You can search on the App or website for more.
Conclusion
Showmax is the best streaming service in Nigeria and Africa if you are looking for local content. Watch the latest and best Nigerian and African movies and TV shows on your phone, laptop, or smart TV.
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