MultiChoice’s Showmax has emerged as the leader in mobile data-saving settings among the four major subscription-based video streaming services in South Africa, according to recent tests conducted by MyBroadband.
In the South African streaming services landscape, Showmax, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix all provide mobile-only, entry-level subscriptions geared toward smartphones and tablets. This strategy is particularly relevant given South Africa’s economic landscape, where affordability is key, and a significant portion of the population primarily accesses the internet through mobile devices.
However, streaming movies and TV shows can be data-intensive, especially for households that rely on mobile data rather than affordable uncapped internet plans. While mobile data prices in South Africa have decreased in recent years, they remain high in relation to average household incomes.
A simple reduction in subscription costs may not be enough to significantly attract less affluent subscribers. Recognising this challenge, Showmax has tailored its streaming service to minimise data consumption, placing a strong emphasis on optimising its app for lower data usage.
Unlike its competitors, Showmax has chosen to prioritise lower-quality streaming over 4K capabilities, which are available on all other platforms. Due to infrastructure challenges, the company asserts that demand for 4K streaming in Africa and other emerging markets is limited. MultiChoice has highlighted that investing in 4K streaming would be premature.
While the data-saving modes may reduce stream quality, the viewing experience can still be enjoyable, particularly when a show’s strength lies in its storytelling rather than visual aesthetics. This is especially true for genres like sitcoms and reality TV, where dialogue and plot are paramount.
In a comparative analysis of data consumption among the major streaming services, MyBroadband found that Showmax’s Data Saver setting uses approximately 3.24MB of data per minute, equating to about 194.55MB per hour—the lowest consumption rate among its competitors. Amazon Prime Video follows closely with a consumption of 197.71MB per hour, reflecting an improvement from its previous 217.55MB rate. Netflix, while consuming slightly more data, ranked best in perceived quality. In stark contrast, Disney+ utilised nearly three times the amount of data as the top three services.
Disney+’s data saver mode caps resolution at 480p, considerably higher than the 144p provided by Showmax and Netflix. However, despite its higher consumption rates, Disney+’s perceived quality on mobile devices remains comparable to that of Netflix, which operates at a much lower data usage.
MyBroadband also analysed YouTube, one of the longest-standing streaming platforms. It recorded a significantly lower data consumption rate of 83.84MB per hour. However, it’s important to note that YouTube’s lowest-quality setting results in poor picture quality, making it difficult to discern faces and details. Additionally, YouTube primarily focuses on community-generated content rather than professionally scripted programming, though it still offers many entertaining and informative videos.
Showmax has capitalised on the need for efficient data use in South Africa’s streaming market, positioning itself as the go-to platform for viewers who prioritise affordability and data-saving capabilities.
