5 Best VPNs for South Africa in 2024

In 2022, South Africa passed an act that allows government censorship of online content, which could impact future Internet freedom. Another common problem is that local content is only available in the country, so it’s not accessible when traveling. Moreover, many popular international services are blocked due to licensing restrictions.

Additionally, cyberattacks are becoming more and more common. Luckily, all these problems can be fixed with a VPN for South Africa. With a VPN, you can bypass censorship, protect your privacy, and access geo-restricted content. Plus, if you connect to a South African server while traveling, you’ll be able to watch local content as if you were at home. 

In this article, we’ll share the top 5 VPNs for South Africa. Then we’ll show you how to get a South Africa IP address and choose the best VPN provider. Finally, we’ll discuss why you need a VPN, what kinds of sites are blocked in South Africa, and much more.

The Best South Africa VPNs - Our Shortlist 

1. ExpressVPN – Our #1-Rated VPN for South Africa
2. NordVPN – Best South Africa VPN for Privacy
3. CyberGhost VPN – Reliable VPN with Optimized Servers
4. Surfshark – Easy-to-Use VPN That Works in South Africa
5. Private Internet Access – Advanced VPN with Massive Server Fleet

How to Get a South African IP Address

To get a South African IP address, you must find a VPN provider that works in South Africa. Then, you must buy a subscription. Here’s everything you’ll need to do:

1. Subscribe to a VPN with servers in South Africa (we recommend ExpressVPN).
2. Download and install the VPN app on the device(s) you’ll use. 
3. Launch the VPN app and log in to your account to activate it. 
4. Connect to a VPN server in South Africa.
5. That’s it! Now, you can browse the Internet with your new South Africa IP address.

The Best VPNs for South Africa

To find the best VPN for South Africa, you need to guide yourself using the set of criteria we established in our guide to the VPNs with the most countries. According to that, the first criterion you should look for is the availability of servers in South Africa, along with an extensive global server network. 

By doing so, you’ll find a VPN that has the ability to unblock websites inside and outside of South Africa, including sites like Netflix South Africa, DStv, Showmax, and SABC+. Next, make sure that your VPN offers fast Internet connection speeds and performance. In addition, find a provider that comes with multiple simultaneous connections and supports various devices.

Other important features to look out for include obfuscated servers, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, secure VPN protocols, and robust encryption. Moreover, choose a VPN that offers a money-back guarantee and reliable 24/7 customer support. 

According to the above-mentioned criteria, these are the 5 best VPNs for South Africa in 2024:

1. ExpressVPN – Our #1-Rated VPN for South Africa

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for South Africa because it has unmatched content-unblocking capabilities and covers a whopping 94 countries with its 3,000+ servers. It also has several servers in South Africa, so you can use it to get a South African IP address. 

This means ExpressVPN can easily unblock websites in and out of South Africa, including services like Showmax, DStv, SABC+, and Netflix South Africa. It’s also the fastest VPN provider on the market, so it’ll equip you with lightning-fast connections and performance. It solidly outperformed the competition during our tests of both upload and download speed.

ExpressVPN comes with all the security and privacy features you’ll need, including obfuscated servers, which hide that you’re using a VPN service, and a kill switch, which automatically disconnects your Internet if your VPN connection drops. In addition, this provider offers an audited no-logs policy, secure tunneling protocols, and military-grade encryption. 

With ExpressVPN, you can connect up to 8 devices simultaneously and use a wide range of gadgets to access your favorite content. Some of those include phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, smart TV devices, routers, and more. You’ll also get a 30-day money-back guarantee that you can use as a free trial, as well as reliable 24/7 customer support, available via live chat. 

2. NordVPN – Best South Africa VPN for Privacy

Next up is NordVPN, another one of our impressive VPN providers in South Africa that has a large server network spanning over 5,800 servers in 60 countries. It offers more than 50 servers in Johannesburg, South Africa, so you can get both South African and foreign IP addresses. 

This means you can easily unblock websites outside and inside of South Africa, including Netflix South Africa, Showmax, DStv, and SABC+. That said, NordVPN isn’t the fastest VPN out there, offering medium-fast connections and reliable performance. It’s still good for streaming and browsing, but it slows down quite a bit on more remote servers. 

On the other hand, NordVPN offers top-of-the-line security and privacy features like obfuscated servers, a capable kill switch, a strict no-logs policy, secure VPN protocols, AES 256-bit security, Double VPN, data leak protection, and much more. Also, this provider supports a wide range of devices, including phones, laptops, PCs, tablets, routers, smart TVs, and more. 

With one NordVPN subscription, you can connect up to 6 devices simultaneously and get dedicated 24/7 customer support while you’re at it. Furthermore, you can try out NordVPN risk-free via its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

3. CyberGhost VPN – Reliable VPN with Optimized Servers

CyberGhost is a powerful VPN provider that has one of the largest networks on the market with more than 9,600 servers in 91 countries. This includes 29 servers in Johannesburg, South Africa. All its South African servers are P2P-optimized, which is great for downloading torrents. 

While it’s not one of the fastest VPNs on the market with its moderate Internet connection speeds, CyberGhost does deliver reliable performance. Plus, it can unblock sites in and outside of South Africa easily, giving you access to Showmax, Netflix South Africa, SABC+, DStv, and more. 

With CyberGhost, you’ll also get strong security and privacy, including features like a no-logs policy, a kill switch, AES-256 encryption, secure VPN protocols, data leak protection, NoSpy servers (which are priced extra), and more. However, you won’t be able to use obfuscation. 

CyberGhost allows 7 simultaneous connections and is compatible with many different devices. Some of them include routers, smart TVs, PCs, laptops, tablets, phones, and more. Also, this VPN for South Africa has 24/7 customer support, which you can use via its live chat feature.

Lastly, CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee on its longer-term plans and a 14-day money-back guarantee on its monthly plan.

4. Surfshark – Easy-to-Use VPN That Works in South Africa

Surfshark is very easy to use and has more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries, including 9 servers in South Africa. What’s more, all Surfshark’s South African servers come with Camouflage Mode, which is Surfshark’s obfuscation feature, and private DNS. 

With Surfshark, you can easily unblock content both outside and inside South Africa, including services like Netflix South Africa, SABC+, Showmax, and DStv. As the second-fastest VPN in South Africa on our list, it offers super-fast connection speeds and stable performance. 

Additionally, Surfshark prides itself on its excellent security and privacy, including a kill switch, a no-logs policy, data leak protection, secure VPN protocols, military-grade encryption, a Multi-Hop feature, and more. 

It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can connect all your devices with one Surfshark subscription. Speaking of devices, Surfshark is compatible with phones, laptops, routers, smart TVs, tablets, PCs, and more. 

You can try Surfshark risk-free via its 30-day money-back guarantee and see if it’s the right fit for you. And as a Surfshark user, you’ll get responsive 24/7 customer support as well. 

5. Private Internet Access – Advanced VPN with Massive Server Fleet

Finally, we have Private Internet Access (PIA), a VPN provider that undoubtedly has the largest fleet on the market, providing thousands of servers in 84 different countries. It has multiple servers in South Africa, making it a great option for those who need a South African IP address.

With PIA, you can easily unblock sites both inside and outside of South Africa. You’ll be able to access content from Netflix South Africa, SABC+, DStv, and Showmax with no issues. However, your connection won’t be as fast as it would be with a provider like ExpressVPN or Surfshark, as PIA delivers the slowest speeds on our list—with reliable performance, luckily. 

On the bright side, you’ll get to boost your speed a bit by tweaking your VPN settings, but you’ll have to decrease your encryption in order to do so. Speaking of encryption, PIA offers great overall security and privacy features, including features like obfuscation, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, military-grade encryption, secure VPN protocols, and more. 

Like Surfshark, PIA also offers unlimited simultaneous connections and is compatible with various devices, such as phones, laptops, PCs, routers, smart TV devices, tablets, and more. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and reliable 24/7 customer support.

Why Do You Need a South Africa VPN?

You need a VPN for South Africa so that you can protect yourself while using the Internet. Other reasons why you need a VPN include the following:

• Conceal Your Browsing Activity – ISPs, the government, and hackers can easily see what you’re doing online if you’re not protected. Since South Africa ranked sixth in cybercrime density recently, protecting yourself online is even more important. There was also a 100%+ increase in mobile banking fraud. A VPN can hide your online activity and prevent cyberattacks. 
• Hide Your IP Address – If someone learns your IP address, they can also find out where you live. With a VPN, you’ll get a brand-new IP address unattached to your real information.
• Avoid ISP Throttling – Your ISP can slow down your connection if you use a lot of data at once. A VPN can prevent this by hiding your online activity.
• Avoid Price Discrimination – Certain products and services are much cheaper in select countries. With a VPN, you can find where the lowest prices are and connect to a server there. 
• Bypass Local Censorship – According to the South Africa Freedom on the Net 2022 report, the country doesn’t block any websites or platforms. However, it manipulates and censors online information sources. You can avoid this censorship by connecting to a foreign VPN server. 
• Watch Global Content – Sites like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Sky Go, and HBO Max aren’t available in South Africa. Also, global Netflix libraries can’t be accessed outside of their home countries. So, if you want to watch shows like Oti Mabuse: My South Africa and more, you need a VPN to get a foreign IP address. 
• Use Public Wi-Fi Safely – Online banking fraud can happen everywhere, especially to tourists who are using public Wi-Fi networks to access their online banking apps. With a VPN, you can encrypt your public Wi-Fi connection, effectively making it secure and safe to use. 
• Get a Better Gaming Experience – A VPN can reduce your ping and provide you with a faster gaming experience by virtually putting you closer to your Word of Warcraft, Fortnight, GTA V, FIFA, or other game server.
• Safe Online Shopping – A VPN will encrypt your Internet connection, making it safe for you to shop online from anywhere.
• Secure Torrent Downloads – Torrenting can be dangerous, but with an Internet connection encrypted by a VPN, you’ll be able to do it with no worries.
• Watch Local Content While Traveling – While traveling, you can use a VPN to connect to a South African server and access the Internet as you would at home. 

How to Choose the Best South African VPN

To choose the best South African VPN, you must look for more than just South African servers. Here are the most important features to consider:

• Server Network Size – Your VPN should offer multiple servers in South Africa, as well as plenty of servers in many different countries worldwide.
• Performance and Speed – The VPN you choose should have fast connections and steady performance to browse and stream without buffers, as well as play games with minimal ping and latency.
• Ability to Unblock Geo-Blocked Services – Your VPN should give you access to sites unavailable in South Africa, such as Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, and more. 
• Obfuscated Servers – Obfuscated servers are an essential feature every VPN user should have as they hide that you’re using a VPN from third parties.
• Kill Switch – With a kill switch, you’ll ensure your data is never leaked, as it will disconnect you from your Internet if your VPN connection drops.
• Privacy and Security – Some of the most important privacy and security features that your VPN must offer include a no-logs policy, strong encryption, and secure VPN protocols.
• Simultaneous Connections – The more simultaneous connections, the more easily you can protect all your devices with one subscription.
• Supported Devices – Your VPN for South Africa should work on phones, laptops, PCs, and more, so you can use it on whichever device you want. 
• Money-Back Guarantees – With a money-back guarantee, you can try out the VPN risk-free without wasting any money.
• Customer Support – Make sure to find a VPN with 24/7 customer support so you can always contact them if you have any issues or questions.

Websites That Are Blocked in South Africa

There are no websites that are explicitly blocked in South Africa. However, there are some types of websites that can be blocked due to the content they display, including the following: 

• Geo-Based Restrictions – Certain websites and platforms, including Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, and Sky Go, aren’t available in South Africa because the country doesn’t have the right to distribute them. Some of those sites only operate in their countries of origin, while others give exclusive rights to specific countries.
• Pornographic Censorship – Sites that show pornographic videos, especially child pornography, are illegal in South Africa.
• Sites That Publish Defamatory Material – If a website in South Africa attacks companies or other people, especially well-known people, it will be taken down, as spreading defamatory material is illegal in the country.
• Copyright Violations – Distributing content that isn’t yours without permission will also get your website taken down in South Africa. 

Can You Use a Free VPN for South Africa?

Yes, you can use a free VPN for South Africa, but this isn’t recommended. That’s because if you use a free VPN, your privacy will be in danger, as many free providers sell user data to third parties. Also, they aren’t secure at all, as they offer poor encryption or no encryption at all.

Furthermore, free VPN providers usually have restrictions such as low data caps, limited bandwidth, few simultaneous connections, slow speeds, and more. Not to mention, it will be almost impossible to find a free VPN with South Africa server locations that will unblock sites both inside and outside of the country. 

Thus, we recommend you avoid free providers and go for a premium VPN instead. With the best VPN providers, you can secure your Internet connection, protect your personal information, and access geo-blocked websites. 

Final Thoughts

Even though South Africa is a digitally free country, the government does have the power to censor online content. Moreover, there are a lot of sites that you can only access if you’re physically in South Africa, and some platforms aren’t accessible in the country due to license issues. Luckily, with a VPN, you can bypass all these issues.

We recommend ExpressVPN as the best VPN for South Africa because it will give you access to global and local content no matter where you are while also protecting you from cybercrimes. Furthermore, you’ll be able to bypass any future government censorship. 

That’s all for our guide on choosing a VPN for South Africa. If you have any additional questions or remarks, feel free to share them via the comments section below. Thanks for reading!