Best VPN for South Africa? Which one should you choose?

Unfortunately, South Africa is one of the countries that has to deal with region blocks for various types of content. Whether you are trying view specific sports events online, whether you want to access Netflix series only available in certain countries, or if you want to gain access to specific steaming services like Disney+ and HBO GO that is only available outside of South Africa, a VPN is a safe and cost effective way to do it all.

Why do you need a VPN in South Africa?

There are various reasons that people use VPNs in South Africa, but no two reasons are the same. Here are some of the main reasons why South Africans make use of VPN services:

1. Access your favourite streaming content from anywhere in the world

It’s no secret that Netflix has different content libraries for various countries around the world. With a VPN you will be able to access any streaming service content from anywhere in the world, no matter where you find yourself. Maybe you travel a lot for work, and you spend a lot of time in hotel rooms and air port waiting areas and you would still like to be able to view your favourite streaming content. A VPN will enable you to do just that, easily.

2. Enjoy a secure internet connection when using public Wi-Fi

Data can be expensive, especially in South Africa, and especially for South Africans traveling abroad. Luckily there are plenty of places that has free public Wi-Fi, like coffee shops and fast food restaurants. The problem with public Wi-Fi is that you are sharing that connection with various other users and many of those users might have dubious intent. Without a VPN in place, all the data and information you send and receive, like login details and other personal information, can be intercepted by shady characters. Regardless if you are using a laptop or smartphone a VPN will help protect your personal info and data. A VPN is a great cyber security tool to use.

3. Safe online shopping and banking

For the longest time my parents refused to do banking or shopping online because of a fear of their credit card details getting stolen. Not every shopping site around the lobe is secured with HTTPS protocols. A VPN will keep your personal details and credit card details safe during online transactions when doing online banking or online shopping.

4. Unblock social media and Google in certain countries

The most obvious country where there might be a need for a VPN to use things like Facebook and Google, is China. China does not allow the use of sites that are not government regulated, and there can be harsh penalties fro trying to use certain social media sites without a VPN in China. So, if you are planning on traveling to China and you want to be able to make use of things like Google Maps, or post images to your Instagram profile, you are going to need a VPN for your phone.

5. Stay annonymous when using the internet

There is a new Netflix documentary by the name of The Social Dilemma. It takes a deep dive into how social media is impacting our decision making by constantly trying advertising to us and showing us what we are more likely to purchase because of how our online behaviour is monitored and used against us. A VPN can help you protect you by keeping your browsing habits out of the hands of advertising giants like Facebook and Google. If you are at all concerned about how Facebook and Google is keeping track of how you use the internet, what sites you visit and what interests you, then a VPN is a must.

The best VPN to use in South Africa

Not all VPNs are created equally. You will notice this immediately when you start looking for a VPN service. Not only does the price of different VPN services vary greatly, but what you get can also vary. For that reason we aim to help you make the best choice by explaining what we think the best VPN service for South Africa is.

Surfshark VPN for South Africa

Personally I prefer SurfShark VPN because it is so affordable For roughly R30 per month it is by far the most affordable VPN to use in South Africa.

SurfShark VPN Advantages

• Includesv CleanWeb, meaning no ads without any ad-blocker extensions
• You can protect as many devices as you’d like at once.
• Allow specific websites and services to bypass the VPN with the Whitelister function
• Strict no logs policy
• Bypass any region restrictions and region blocked content

Express VPN

Express VPN is a very popular VPN to use in South Africa. Not only will it give you the ability to watch Netflix from other countries, but it will also unblock region blocked content on websites like YouTube and ESPN.

ExpressVPN advantages

• 160 Server Locations in 94 different countries
• Anonymous browsing
• Can be used on any divice, including PC, laptop, tablets and phones
• 24 hour live chat support

Price: $8.32 US if you sign up for 12 months.