How does Showmax work?

Find out how Showmax works, Showmax pricing and cost, the different Showmax packages, and how to pay for Showmax.

What is Showmax?

Showmax is not a TV channel.

It’s a streaming service where you can watch movies, series, documentaries, sport and kids’ stuff. Watch online at showmax.com or using the Showmax app. The Showmax app is available for phones, tablets, smart TVs, media players and gaming consoles.

All you need is a subscription and a device that can connect to the internet to watch Showmax.

Showmax packages and plans

Showmax Standard

Showmax’s standard plan comes with thousands of movies and series to stream. Register up to five devices, watch on two streams at once, and get full access to everything on Showmax.

In South Africa, Showmax Standard costs R99 per month. Sign up here »

Showmax Mobile

With Showmax Mobile, subscribers can watch all the same content as Showmax Standard, but only on a smartphone or tablet. Only one device can be registered on each account, and you can watch one stream (or one device) at a time only.

In South Africa, this Showmax package costs R39 per month. This makes Showmax Mobile a cost-effective way for subscribers to stream all the movies, series, documentaries and kids’ shows on Showmax on their smartphones.

Showmax Pro

Showmax Pro comes with everything in the standard plan, plus select live sport from SuperSport, and live news and music channels. Showmax Pro is for the streaming enthusiast who wants it all – series, movies, documentaries, kids’ shows as well as live sport, news and music.

Showmax Pro channels include SABC news (in South Africa only), Euronews, Africanews, and Newzroom Afrika, plus Trace Urban and Trace Gospel.

Like Showmax Standard, on this Showmax package, five devices can be registered on each account, and you can watch on two streams or on two devices at the same time.

In South Africa, the pricing of Showmax Pro is R299 per month until 31 March 2023, and R349 per month thereafter. How to upgrade to Showmax Pro »

Read more about Showmax Pro »

Showmax Pro Mobile

Showmax Pro Mobile is the mobile version of Showmax Pro. You can watch all the same content – movies, series, documentaries and kids’ shows, plus live sport from SuperSport, news and music – but only on a mobile device, either a phone or a tablet.

In South Africa, the pricing of Showmax Pro Mobile is R199 per month until 31 March 2023 and R225 per month thereafter.

Read more about the difference between standard Showmax and Showmax Mobile.

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	ZAR 349 R299	ZAR 225 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 free for 14 days.**

1. Go to showmax.com.
2. Sign up with your email address and create a password.
3. Choose your payment method. Don’t worry, if you cancel within the 14-day free trial, nothing will be deducted off your card.
4. Watch movies and series free for 14 days.
5. Once your trial has expired, your card will be charged to keep watching Showmax. You will be billed once a moth.
6. There is no contract and you can cancel 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 favourite 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 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 spend.

• 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).

Now all you have to do is sign up to Showmax.