“My fellow South Africans” we would like to firstly, reassure you all, that we will not be closing the liquor stores with immediate effect. Many of you still have trauma since we were sentenced to spending large quantities of quality time with loved ones. However one of the happier accidents that happened during that time was the mass adoption of streaming platforms.
While we were going out of our minds with cabin fever we were also seeing a content explosion. Streaming was so popular we were broadcasting our funerals, something that looks like it is now here to stay in some circles. YouTube has many examples of exactly that post the state of disaster.
We thought that it would be a great time to give you an overview of the available streaming platforms and since we are proudly South African (at least when we are not contemplating leaving) we thought we would give our top 3 streaming platforms that are under utilised.
At the top of this list we have TelkomOne which has an impressive selection of local content and ranging from MTV’s Shuga – The Estate, Imvelogy, Too Hot To Be Single, Toon Ami, The Big Four: Accounting Firms Under Scrutiny all deserving an honorable mention – all the way to Live South African Radio Broadcasts – with fan favorites such as Ukhozi FM, 5 fm, RSG FM, Ligwalagwala FM, Metro FM – to audio on demand with Swahili Music, Total Hits East Africa, Motown, South Africa Gospel and Classical, provided by Stingray Music (Can you hear that Big Nuz chorus yet?). There are even Gaming channels available for the Esports fanatics – VS Gaming and Gametoon providing some of that selection.
Telkom helps the service along by providing specialized (AMP) data bundles for your viewing pleasure. R 49 for the monthly bundle (1800 MB); R 19 weekly (720MB); R17 for the weekend (360MB); or R7 Daily (90MB) all optimized for mobile devices. If you are a Horror Fan there is also something specific for you! R4 daily or R29 monthly.
The draw back is that the subscription is recurring, so if you were looking for a one and done experience then you will be rudely awakened.
eVOD is next on our list and they are also quite nicely put together. They host a range of shows such as Ashes to Ashes – our honorable mentions are The Black Door, Madam and Eve, Housewives, An Eye For An Eye, Fenix and Umbrella men – there is a full 1500 hours worth of content on the platform. They even boast a programme that is like Netflix Originals, that helps in the production of local content for the local and international markets. While we cannot speak to the adoption of the platform as being as widely accepted as the international giants, the platform does have advantages over them. eVOD also allows for subscribers to access Fast Forward, allowing streamers to get access to upcoming episodes of the series being broadcast traditionally ahead of time.
The partnership with MTN has some benefits such as a lower costs in comparison to Telkom’s One (R5 for a daily subscription, R15 for weekly, R 29.99 for the monthly) while there does not seem to be a correlation with the total amount of data that is being made available, we are fairly sure that the case is a standard best practice.
The drawback with the service is the reputation that eTV has developed for outdated content, not to imply that we are in for more of the same, simply a legacy which will be in the back of consumers’ minds.
Third on our list is PCCW’s Viu. While the streaming service is our first foreign service, it has an interesting relationship with the SABC. Many classic and widely adopted shows are available there and they have some of the largest audiences. The content line up sees shows like Skeem Saam – our honorable mentions being Ubettina Wethu, Yizo Yizo, Generations: The Legacy, Muvhango, 7de Laan – joining K-Series and K-Drama on a single platform, which saves fans who used to have to find their content all over the net and now it’s as popping over from one app to another for the full experience. Viu also has something for the fans of Bollywood however all the Nollywood fans are going to have to hold on tight, they have yet to be given the space. The Viu Originals are also a nice benefit, as they too keep the content, local, fresh and developing, Ubettina Wethu being just one example of those.
Viu has two different structures one is the premium package, where you can get yourself access at only R 69 monthly (with data bundles each sold separately) or you can get involved with the Freemium service, which works much like YouTube, coming in clutch with the ads.
The drawback in this instance is the fact that the content on the platform is skewed very definitely towards the Asian market, which is a legacy of the fact that it developed in that market and for that market.
We suggest you get out there and you check out all of your options, support the creative economy and enjoy the benefits of putting our creatives to work. We do after all have some of the zaniest, dramatic and interesting creative campaigns and personalities around the world, all sitting within your reach.
If you would like to show us a few that you have seen, or want to discuss other platforms such as Kiwi, AcornTV, Plex or any of the multitude of others feel free to drop a comment below.
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