Published on: September 8, 2024 Updated 2 times since publishing
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : It has servers in South Africa that access local sites like SuperSport and DStv Now. It works with international streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Plus, it offers the fastest speeds on the market and encrypts all of your online activities for when using public Wi-Fi in South Africa. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time users.
The best VPNs for South Africa easily access a range of streaming sites, including SuperSport, ESPN+, and Netflix. They provide fast connections for streaming, gaming, and other high-bandwidth activities, while also preventing your South African internet service provider (ISP) from throttling your speeds. These VPNs also secure your data while connected to public Wi-Fi in South Africa.
My top choice for South Africa is ExpressVPN. It consistently works with local and international streaming sites, maintains super-fast speeds, includes top-notch security features, offers easy-to-use apps for all of the popular operating systems. Editor's Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick Summary of the Best VPNs for South Africa
Editor's Note: Intego ONE, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for South Africa
Basic 12-Months plan: $3.99 / month
1-month plan: $12.99 / month
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for South Africa because it’s the fastest VPN on the market due to its proprietary protocol Lightway, which has very few lines of code, making it lightweight and fast. I really like how it resists network changes, too, so if you switch from public Wi-Fi in South Africa to mobile data, your VPN connection won’t drop.
ExpressVPN has servers in Johannesburg for the best possible speeds in South Africa. Plus, you can enjoy excellent speeds on any of its servers in 105 other countries — I tested its speeds while connected to distant servers and never really experienced any slowdowns.
This VPN is excellent for streaming from South Africa. It accesses 100+ streaming sites, including international sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, and Disney+, as well as SuperSport, DStv Now, and SABC 1 and eTV.
In addition, I really like its Threat Manager feature for extra security while connected to public Wi-Fi. It blocks connections to malicious and phishing sites, stops trackers that collect your data, and prevents harmful ads from loading, which also allows sites to load faster.
The VPN comes with split-tunneling, a feature that lets you decide which apps go through the VPN tunnel and which use your regular connection. For instance, you can route your SuperSport streaming traffic via the VPN and use your real location for delivery services in South Africa.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for South Africa. It has buffer-free speeds for all online activities, servers in Johannesburg, offers a large server network spread across 105 countries, and works with tons of streaming sites. Plus, the VPN includes top security features to protect your data.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great for Customizing Your Connections in South Africa
6-month plan: $7.50 / month
1-month plan: $11.95 / month
Private Internet Access (PIA) lets you customize your connections for optimal performance in South Africa. It’s one of the few VPNs on this list that allows you to switch from 256-bit AES encryption to 128-bit AES, which provides slightly faster speeds on unreliable networks like café Wi-Fi in South Africa.
If the network is stable, you can use 256-bit AES and enable the WireGuard protocol, which is the fastest one PIA offers — when I tested it, all sites and videos loaded instantly and there were no slowdowns.
The VPN has a large server network in 50 countries, including servers in Johannesburg that reliably work with SuperSport and DStv NOW. PIA also accesses Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and 30+ other streaming sites. Still, ExpressVPN is the better choice for streaming as it works with 100+ streaming sites.
I’m a big fan of PIA’s security and privacy features. I like its Advanced Kill Switch that blocks internet access if the VPN disconnects, ensuring you’re always secured before accessing the internet in South Africa. You also get the best VPN ad blocker on the market, PIA MACE, which blocked all pop-up ads in my tests, improving speeds and stopping me from visiting unsafe sites.
PIA offers an advanced split-tunneling feature that allows you to exclude IP addresses in addition to apps. This gives you greater flexibility — you can use the VPN to stream sports events on DStv Now and exclude specific websites like the URL of your bank’s site (most banks block VPN traffic) instead of having to route the entire browser’s traffic outside of the VPN tunnel.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access allows you to customize your connections from South Africa for faster speeds or better security. It has servers in South Africa and other countries worldwide, and it works with local and international sites from South Africa. It’s great for online security in South Africa, and it features the best ad blocker on the market.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
Editor's Note: Private Internet Access and this site are in the same ownership group.
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated Servers for Streaming
6-month plan: $6.99 / month
1-month plan: $12.99 / month
CyberGhost VPN has dedicated servers for streaming on top sites from South Africa, including 50+ international streaming services like Netflix, Max, and Amazon Prime Video — there’s even a dedicated streaming service location for DStv ZA. These servers are regularly tested by CyberGhost’s team to make sure they work with the intended sites and apps.
CyberGhost has regular servers in Johannesburg that can also access local streaming services like SuperSport. The rest of its servers are spread across 100 countries and provide pretty fast speeds for all online activities — in my tests, I didn’t experience any buffering or slowdowns on nearby and distant servers.
This provider is good for protecting your privacy in South Africa. It has a decent ad, tracker, and malware blocker (called Content Blocker) that prevented me from accessing shady phishing sites. The ad blocker worked, too, but it didn’t stop all ads from loading on sites.
I really like how CyberGhost VPN lets you automate your connections thanks to its Smart Rules feature. For example, you can set it to auto-connect to a server when you open a certain app (like your browser), connect to a specific server when you open a specific app (like Netflix), and connect automatically when your device detects unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN is great for streaming from South Africa thanks to dedicated streaming servers. Its South African servers are located in Johannesburg, and you get a decent ad and malicious site blocker. In addition, it offers a convenient Smart Rules feature to automate your connections.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editor's Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.
4. NordVPN — Fast VPN With Great Security for South Africa
Plus 24-month plan: $3.59 / month
Complete 24-month plan: $3.99 / month
Prime 24-month plan: $6.99 / month
NordVPN is great for securely browsing the web in South Africa. This is thanks to its Threat Protection Pro feature — it blocks ads for faster loading times, blocks trackers, and protects you from phishing websites. On top of that, it scans downloads for malware, so it’s great if you frequently download files and want to ensure they are safe before opening them.
I’m a big fan of its Meshnet feature, which allows you to link all your devices in South Africa through an encrypted network. Once connected, you can use your PC as a VPN server and avoid slow Wi-Fi networks at places like a local café.
When it comes to streaming, NordVPN works with 10+ streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. It also works with local South African streaming sites like SuperSport and DStv Now. That said, I believe ExpressVPN is the better choice for streaming, as it works with 100+ streaming services.
NordVPN has a server location in Johannesburg and 149 countries. It provides great speeds for all online activities thanks to its proprietary NordLynx protocols. In my speed tests, websites loaded instantly, and I didn’t experience any buffering when using the NordLynx protocol.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a great pick for securely going online in South Africa. It has Threat Protection Pro that blocks ads, trackers, and phishing sites, as well as downloading malicious files. It also comes with a unique Meshnet feature that lets you remotely access all of your devices and use them as secure VPN servers in South Africa. NordVPN works with 10+ streaming platforms and is fast.
5. Surfshark — Good for Beginners + Affordable
One 24-month plan: $2.49 / month
One+ 24-month plan: $4.19 / month
Surfshark is an intuitive VPN for South Africa that’s great for beginners. I like its recommended server options on the main screen that let you connect to the fastest local server or the fastest server in a nearby country with 1 click. It’s also convenient that you can customize the Quick Connect feature to connect to any server location, like a server in South Africa or servers in the other 100 countries.
One of my favorite Surfshark features to use in South Africa is the ad blocker, CleanWeb — in my tests, it blocked most ads on ad-heavy sites and allowed the sites to load faster. It also prevented me from clicking on phishing sites. However, PIA MACE performed better in blocking ads.
Surfshark is good for streaming from South Africa — it accesses 50+ streaming platforms like multiple Netflix libraries, Max, and Disney+, without an issue. Plus, it’s compatible with some local platforms like SuperSport, DStv Now, and the local channel SABC 1.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark’s intuitive apps are great for VPN beginners in South Africa. The VPN makes it easy to find the fastest possible server locations and offers lots of 1-click connections for convenience. It has a good ad, tracker, and malicious site blocker and comes with good streaming support.
Read the full Surfshark review
Quick Comparison Table
Editor's Note: Intego ONE, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company.
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
I followed our comprehensive testing methodology to select the best VPNs for South Africa. I made my choices based on my testing results and looked at several metrics, like server selection options and speed. Here is a more detailed look at how I chose and ranked each VPN:
- I checked for servers in South Africa & other countries. All the VPNs on this list have at least 1 server location in South Africa and servers in at least 90 other countries in the world that access local and international content.
- I considered streaming support. The VPN I recommend easily access local streaming sites like SuperSport and DStv Now and international ones like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
- I looked for fast speeds. Every VPN I recommend maintains fast speeds on local servers in South Africa and distant ones despite the encryption process, which typically slows down your speed. Plus, the VPNs on my list prevent ISPs in Africa from throttling your connections, so you might even get faster speeds once you connect to any of these VPNs.
- I looked at each VPN’s security and privacy features. Each VPN on this list comes with industry-standard security features like a military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, an audited no-logs policy, and a kill switch. Plus, they all have strong leak protection — I never saw any leaks during my tests.
- I made sure the VPN provided a good value. The VPNs on this list have affordable plans with generous money-back guarantees and allow multiple simultaneous connections.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- VyprVPN. VyprVPN maintains fast speeds and has excellent streaming support. However, it doesn’t have any servers in South Africa, so you won’t be able to watch local content and channels securely. Also, it has servers in fewer countries than the VPNs on this list.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear has a fun and intuitive interface but doesn’t match the speeds of the VPNs I recommend. On top of that, it works with fewer streaming services than the VPNs I recommend here.
- Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN offers strong security features and has servers in South Africa. That said, the VPN doesn’t work with popular streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which VPN works best in South Africa?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for South Africa. It accesses local streaming platforms and channels like SuperSport, DStv Now, and international services, such as Netflix and Hulu. It maintains the fastest speeds on the market and comes with top-notch security features.
Is using a VPN legal in South Africa?
Yes, using a VPN is legal in South Africa. I always recommend using a VPN to protect your online privacy, and more importantly, security in South Africa, where cybercrime is rampant. A lot of the VPNs I recommend also come with extras like malicious site blockers that can stop you from visiting phishing sites while browsing online in South Africa. Please note that performing illegal activities while using a VPN is still against the law.
Which VPN is the best for streaming DStv in South Africa?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming DStv. It always accesses the site without an issue, and it’s the fastest VPN on the market, so you won’t have to deal with any buffering or slowdowns. On top of that, it’s compatible with other local sites like SuperSport and some international ones including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.
Are there any free VPNs that work well in South Africa?
Yes, but free VPNs come with many limitations, which is why I don’t usually recommend them. For instance, most free VPNs don’t have servers in South Africa or any nearby country, so you won’t be able to securely stream on local sites.
They also have data limits, meaning you’ll have to limit your online activities to a couple of hours of browsing or streaming, and many slow down speeds, which might make your streaming experience frustrating with frequent buffering and lower video quality.
That’s why I recommend purchasing a premium VPN like ExpressVPN. It has super fast speeds, offers multiple servers in South Africa, and works with lots of local and international streaming sites 100% of the time.
Editor's Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
