Best VPN for South Africa 2024: Unblock SA Content Globally

Looking for the best VPN for South Africa in 2024? You have landed just at the right place. We rounded up the best 5 SA VPNs to help you access geo-restricted content easily and browse the internet anonymously. Read more and explore more about the best South African VPNs.

Whether you live in South Africa or are planning to visit the country, you will surely find a Virtual Private Network (VPN) pretty useful. Firstly, you will be able to browse the internet securely where no one will be able to keep tabs on your online activities.’

Secondly, you will be able to bypass geo-restrictions on geo-blocked content from anywhere in the world from South Africa. Moreover, a VPN with servers in South Africa, you will be able to access the local SA content anywhere you are. Once you connect to a server in South Africa, you will get a SA IP address.

This will also stop anyone on the internet from getting to know your actual location. All this more can be availed of with the help of the best South Africa VPN in 2024.

With the best VPN for South Africa, you’ll access streaming services like Netflix, DSTV, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc.

All this and more will be available to the locals of South Africa, additionally providing access to South African platforms like SABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, Vidi or ETV, etc., from overseas.

Best VPN for South Africa in 2024 – Detailed analysis

Below you can find the best VPNs for South Africa with their brief detail. It will help you decide which VPN will suit you the best in SA. However, we highly recommend Surfshark because of its consistent record and user satisfaction in South Africa and anywhere else in the world.

1. Surfshark – VPN for large families

Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for South Africa in 2024. In fact, other than it being a good SA VPN, there are many reasons to add to this list for multiple other reasons. Just to double-check, I ran tests over the Surfshark app, just to make sure it works reliably.

It’s one of the best to crack down on geo-restricted platforms, not falling short in providing some of the best security measures. This makes it the best for keeping your internet surfing safe in South Africa.

With its bullet-proof AES 256-bit encryption, it supports simultaneous multi-logins to unlimited devices, a reliable privacy policy, a multi-hop feature, and an in-built Kill Switch.

It’s known for unblocking many restricted websites like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and other South African local channels that sometimes have a block in their way. This is what makes Surfshark one of the best VPNs overall and also the best for users in South Africa.

Surfshark provides rich sever coverage, having around 3200+ servers in 100 countries, including a South African server. So, you can now access any content you need by simply just connecting to any server you need to unblock unlimited services.

Additionally, Surfshark is compatible with all major devices like Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Firestick, and more.

Another great thing about Surfshark is its pricing. It also thinks about everything and allows its potential customers to get a feel of the VPN by providing a free trial with premium access to all its features.

If you feel like testing out the VPN a little more than the 7-day free trial, there’s also a refund policy with a 30-day trial period.

Get Surfshark VPN for South Africa Now

2. NordVPN – South Africa VPN for online security

NordVPN is a solid choice to use in South Africa. It’s the best for bypassing geo-blocks, accessing local channels safely, and remaining anonymous online.

This Panama VPN envelopes a huge list of 5500+ servers in 60 countries, with 50+ South African VPN servers. So accessing many geo-prohibited platforms both locally and internationally, such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and others, shouldn’t be a problem. It’s also P2P compatible.

The best part about NordVPN is that even if you’re headed for a vacation to South Africa, you can connect to its services on 6 different devices simultaneously. Some of the devices that NordVPN supports include Firestick, Android, iOS, Windows, Android TV, and macOS.

NordVPN is also packed with many other unique security features like a Kill Switch, 256-bit AES encryption, which includes 2048-bit SSL keys, and DNS leak protection. This VPN also supports all major protocols like PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, IKEv2, and the main protocol for streaming, OpenVPN.

There are other features that make this VPN stand out, like the NordVPN CyberSec feature. It worked wonders when our team tested and reviewed the NordVPN app.

To run a few tests of your own, you can take up the NordVPN 7-day free trial or the 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you’re not fully happy with the results, you can always ask for an account cancellation or a full refund.

Get NordVPN for South Africa Now

3. ExpressVPN – BestVPN for South Africa in 2024

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for South Africa for fast streaming speeds matched with high-end security features. This provider is loved by users worldwide for the exceptional performance it delivers throughout. It bypasses restricted websites with utmost security in every country, including South Africa.

It covers a huge platform of 3000+ servers in 94 countries, with the inclusion of South African servers in its list.

You’ll easily be able to access any channels you like and from wherever you like. A few of the SA services it unblocks while traveling include MTN and SuperSport. You’ll also be able to access services like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, US Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime.

ExpressVPN will give you the best internet surfing experience from wherever you are, considering that it also works in China. During testing, this provider delivered the best speed results.

Some of these features include AES 256-bit encryption, a Kill Switch by default, a Smart DNS feature called MediaStreamer, and much more.

This company also allows you to simultaneously connect up to 5 devices. Speaking of, ExpressVPN supports all the major platforms, some of which include Windows, macOS, Android, Firestick, iOS, Nvidia Shield, and much more.

Most of its apps are user-friendly and are pretty simple to download and install. All-in-all, ExpressVPN is one of the top-performing providers for users in South Africa. You’ll find its performance completely within your expectations.

You can even test the VPN using the ExpressVPN 7-day free trial for Android and iOS smartphones. There’s also a 30-day refund you can use to test other platforms.

I’m sure you won’t be disappointed! However, if you are, the ExpressVPN support team is always helpful in providing steps to a full refund or account cancellation services.

Get ExpressVPN for South Africa Now

4. CyberGhost – Optimized South African VPN servers

CyberGhost makes another reliable VPN for South Africa, where you can access geo-blocked local channels outside of South Africa or international services within the country. It’s user-friendly, diverse, and great for streaming.

Known to be one of the cheaper VPNs, having a huge display of servers, 7000+ servers in 91+ countries to be exact, it has around 24 dedicated South African VPN servers in Cape Town.

This is perfect for accessing any restricted platforms within or outside the country.

What’s also great about CyberGhost is the fact that it has separate tabs for server locations dedicated to streaming and torrenting, making it easier for its customers.

Just like Surfshark, it’s also rich in security features like AES 256-bit encryption, supports all major protocols like L2TP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN, a Kill Switch, and a no-log policy; protecting all your data.

CyberGhost makes accessing all restricted content look like a piece of cake. With dedicated servers in South Africa, you never have to worry about skipping out on your favorite show ever again.

It’s able to break through many streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu, Kodi, and other local channels within SA.

To add to that, it also allows 7 simultaneous multi-device logins. Some of the platforms that it supports include Android, iOS, Windows, FireTV, macOS, and much more!

Speaking of compatibility, it also works with TOR, providing double encryption. However, it’s better to know the positives and negatives of using TOR as compared to a VPN, before diving in.

So if you feel like testing the VPN, there’s a CyberGhost free trial with full premium access.

Besides this, it also sports a very good refund policy, with a 14-day refund for its 1-month plan and a huge 45-day refund for any plan exceeding one month.

Get CyberGhost VPN for South Africa Now

5. Private Internet Access – South Africa VPN servers in Johannesburg

Lastly, we have Private Internet Access, a US-based VPN that has over 35000+ servers in 80+ countries, with the inclusion of VPN servers in South Africa. There are many reasons why PIA is often listed on the best VPN sites, but it’s on our list because of test results and user reviews.

However, the only flaw I would mention is that if you’re connecting to a South African server from a European country, or the US or UK, the speeds might drop down. This is normal considering you’re located away from these countries. 

Secondly, since it’s located in the States, it makes it much easier to access geo-restricted websites like the US Netflix library. To access local banking accounts or South African TV channels abroad, you only need to connect to the PIA South Africa VPN servers to get access.

Some of the websites or services that PIA has successfully unblocked, include Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Hulu. Plus, if there are any websites that come with ads, you can use the PIA MACE ad-blocking feature. .

You can access these by using the Private Internet Access Split-Tunneling feature on your devices, to use the VPN for specific streaming services or websites in South Africa. Other than this, if you’re looking for online protection in South Africa, the VPN secures your connection with AES 256-bit encryption, matched with multiple protocols (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, WireGuard, and others.) 

Need to use the VPN on more than one device in South Africa? PIA allows up to 10 simultaneous multi-device connections. You can use the South Africa VPN app on your Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, as PIA is perfectly compatible to run on all of them.

The good part about this VPN is that offers a free trial for multiple supported devices. If that’s not enough, you can use the VPN during its risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. All in all, PIA is one of the best VPNs for South Africa, as well as in the industry, which is why it gets great user reviews.

Get PIA VPN for South Africa Now

Why do you need the best VPN in South Africa?

The internet is a wonderful place to be. However, at the same time, there are so many cyber crimes prevailing everywhere in the world.

With this in mind, South Africa is known to be ranked as 3rd, packing the heaviest cybercrime rates, even until today.

Many statistics show that thousands of attempted cyber-attacks prevail in South Africa on a daily basis. Most are misled in online activities by clicking on the wrong link at the wrong time, being scammed into unethical activities, or using their data as leverage when hacked.

It was also seen that in the year 2018, a bill was proposed by the UN to allow internet freedom in South Africa, which was voted against by the SA government. This may have been due to the kind of content that some providers in SA produced. It may have been deemed as inappropriate, hence blocking a number of local websites and allowing only a few for locals.

So, if you’re surfing the net or even trying to gain access to unauthorized or restricted content, you need to be extra careful.

If ever you need to be able to stream restricted content from services like Netflix, you definitely need to get yourself a good VPN. For that, I’ve enlisted some of the best for South Africa (Surfshark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN,  CyberGhost, and PIA), which work perfectly.

It really doesn’t matter if you’re a local or just a visiting tourist who really needs to keep up with all the latest shows while on vacation. If you’re in South Africa, definitely get yourself one of these VPNs, protecting all your data and devices, masking your identity.

How to choose the best VPN for South Africa

When you look to buy a VPN, you mainly go for one that can secure your every online activity while keeping your identity completely safe and masked.

But in this scenario, since we’re discussing the best VPN for South Africa. So, you’d probably want to check out a VPN that can not only add security but also be able to access geo-restricted websites that are usually blocked within the country.

It doesn’t matter if you need a VPN for your company or need it for your home. There are always certain features that you need to bear in mind. These are:

• Look for advanced security like military-grade encryption and a functional Kill Switch.
• A huge array of servers that include locations in major parts of the world, including South Africa.
• A provider that honors the no-log policy and keeps your data protected.
• One that has great speeds and unlimited bandwidth.
• Holding all the major protocols for streaming.
• Supports all or main devices and has a multi-device simultaneous login
• And the assistance of a 24/7 support chat or helpline.

Can you use a free VPN for South Africa?

You could, but that wouldn’t be the best choice. Most people who can’t spend big on VPN services or who assume VPN protection is just not worth it, opt for a free choice

There’s a reason why we pay for the best VPN services instead of using a free one.

They lack in providing enough server locations and necessary security features like a Kill Switch, good speeds, etc.

Free VPNs fail to keep their users’ data secure and usually sell them to third-party companies. But if you still insist on using them, there are 4 free providers that offer functionality in South Africa:

• ZenMate
• Windscribe
• TunnelBear
• ZenVPN

You can also see a statement made by one Quora user:

FAQs – Best VPN for South Africa

What VPN can I use in South Africa?

Surfshark is the best VPN for South Africa. You can use any of the best South Africa VPNs listed above. All the best VPNs for South Africa on our list unblock DStv, Hulu, HBO Go, Netflix, and Amazon Prime within the country. You can even use the same VPN to access SA channels abroad. 

Which free VPN has a South African server?

There are only a few free VPNs for South Africa that work; however, not many are reliable where speeds, access to streaming sites, and security are concerned. However, if you’re looking for a free VPN that has an SA server, we suggest ZenMate, Windscribe, and TunnelBear.

Can I use NordVPN in South Africa?

Yes, you can use NordVPN in South Africa since it’s one of the best South African VPNs to use there. Just in case you’re looking for better and similar alternatives, we suggest Surfshark and ExpressVPN. 

What is the best free VPN to use in South Africa?

Right now, there is no free VPN for South that is the best, but we do recommend using a premium VPN for South Africa. Surfshark is currently the best South Africa VPN that is affordable and comes with a free trial and a refund period. 

Can I change my IP location for South Africa?

To change your IP location for South Africa, you will need the best VPN that hides your physical IP address and replaces it with a South African IP address. The VPN you choose needs to offer a South Africa VPN server and reliable security encryption. 

How do I get a VPN in South Africa?

To get a VPN in South Africa, you first have to create your account with Surfshark. Once that’s done, download and install the VPN on your device. Launch it, and connect to a South Africa VPN server or an international one, depending on what you want access to in South Africa. 

Should I use a VPN in South Africa?

Yes, you should use a VPN in South Africa as it comes with major benefits. You can use the VPN to not only maintain online protection within the country but also to unblock geo-restricted services within the country. 

Which VPN works in South Africa?

Surfshark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and PIA are currently the top 5 best VPNs that work in South Africa. Each offers unique features, South African IP addresses, and the best protection for your device, data, privacy and the internet at large. 

Are VPNs legal in South Africa?

Yes, VPNs are legal in South Africa. In fact, despite there being internet freedom in South Africa, it’s still recommended to use a VPN there. There are issues like data theft, ISP throttling and other malicious intrusions that might infect your device and invade your anonymity online.  

How much does a VPN cost in South Africa?

You can get the best VPN in South Africa for as less as $2.29/mo. for a year or more. The VPNs on my list are all affordable, other than ExpressVPN. However, even if they’re slightly on the expensive side, they offer optimized servers, high-end security features, and other advantages. Plus, you can always use the free trial or the money-back guarantee to test the VPN. 

Do you need a VPN for South Africa?

Yes, you do need a VPN for South Africa. This is if you’re planning on accessing international streaming services or plan on signing into your online banking accounts while traveling there. 

Conclusion

That is a wrap. You must now must be well-informed about the best VPN for South Africa and its benefits. There are multiple streaming services and websites that are inaccessible in South Africa. The best way to bypass geo-restrictions on such sites is by using a reliable VPN such as Surfshark. 

It is a bit expensive, yes, but the encryption and unblocking abilities it offers are unmatched. You can test Surfshark using its 30-day money-back guarantee, if you are unsatisfied, cancel the subscription and claim a full refund without any questions asked.

To Summarize, the Best VPNs for South Africa are…..

Rank	Provider	Our Score	User Rating
1	Surfshark	9.6/10	Read Review	Find Out More Get Started >>
2	NordVPN	9.4/10	Read Review	Find Out More Get Started >>
3	ExpressVPN	9.3/10	Read Review	Find Out More Get Started >>
4	Cyberghost	9.0/10	Read Review	Find Out More Get Started >>
5	Private Internat Access	8.8/10	Read Review	Find Out More Get Started >>