Streaming South African content

Your best option to legally watch South African products is to get a subscription to Showmax or Netflix.

Showmax	Unfortunately Showmax will only be available outside of South Africa until 1 December 2023. We will keep you updated if there are any alternatives
Netflix	You might find some South African content

VPNs and DStv

Although it is possible to watch DStv in Germany, it is not recommended.
Please read the warning below. If you have to use a VPN to watch something you can be pretty sure it was not licenced in Germany.

Watching sports

How to watch South African Sport in Germany There’s nothing quite like the roar of a Springbok try or the crack of leather on willow, even from thousands of kilometres away. Rugby and cricket are more than just games for us; they’re pieces of home, shared with every cheer and every sigh. This page brings you all the legal ways to stream and watch South

Television Licenses

Television Licence (der Rundfunkbeitrag/GEZ-Gebühr) Television Licenses The first thing you are likely to get in your new mailbox after registering at the Bürgeramt is a reminder to pay your TV & radio broadcasting fees. The 2024 fees are €18.36 per month and can be paid quarterly (€55.08) or €220.32 per yearThe fee is mandatory. Every household in Germany has to pay the fee even if you

Warning!!

VPNs are legal in Germany — but what you do with them can still get you in trouble. If you use a VPN to access content that’s not licensed for distribution in Germany, such as a South African TV program, you could be infringing copyright law, regardless of whether you’re downloading or just streaming.

While GEMA (the Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte) oversees music rights and royalties in Germany, film and TV licensing falls under other regulations and contracts. If a provider hasn’t secured the proper rights to broadcast in Germany, and you access it anyway, that’s considered a violation — even if it’s just passive streaming.
So while your VPN might open the door, it doesn’t make it legal to step through.

⚖️ The Problem Isn’t the VPN. It’s the Licensing.

Here’s the real issue:
If a broadcaster (like SuperSport or SABC) hasn’t bought the rights to stream their sports content in Germany, then watching it here — even via VPN — can violate copyright law.
Why? Because content like live sports is licensed by territory. South African broadcasters usually only buy rights to show games in South Africa. They’re not allowed to stream it internationally unless they pay for those rights, and that can get expensive.
If you use a VPN to “pretend” you’re in SA and stream the game anyway, that’s a form of unauthorised access. Under German and EU copyright law, that could be considered copyright infringement — even if you’re just watching and not downloading anything.

Info on the web

Streamen – Article in German
Act on Copyright and Related Rights
(Urheberrechtsgesetz – UrhG)
Streaming was ist illegal. Information about geoblocking
You can read more about streaming, and how to identify illegal sites, on the European Consumer Centre Germany – you can download their English PDF here Safer-Streaming-EN
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of April 2017 clarified that knowingly streaming from an illegal source is a copyright violation
Article from Deutsche Welle – Warning on illegal downloads
Information from the European Consumer Centre can be found here
IPTV what is legal and what not – Article in German but can be easily translated

📌 Bottom Line:

In Germany, ignorance is not bliss when it comes to streaming. The country has some of the strictest copyright enforcement in Europe. Watch smart, and stick to legit sources — or you may end up paying far more than the price of a Netflix subscription.

Internet, TV and mobile

Internet, Television and mobile Most providers in Germany offer bundled packages that combine internet, mobile, and television services. Fibre optic (Glasfaser) internet is Germany’s fastest and most modern option, available in many cities and larger towns. It offers blazing speeds for streaming, video calls, and remote work. In some areas, cable internet is more prevalent and offers decent speeds, especially when combined with TV. For those living outside urban centres, DSL remains the most widely

Radio Stations and Playlists

🎧 Bringing the Beat of Mzansi to Germany Missing the rhythm of home? From the soulful hum of Afrikaans ballads to high-energy Kwaito beats and morning talk shows packed with that unmistakable South African flavour, online radio stations stream it all straight to you, no matter where you are.Tune in live from Germany and stay connected to the music, culture, and stories that still feel like home.Prefer an app? We’ve rounded up a few, so

Phoning Home

In today’s world most of us have apps that we use to chat with family back home. But not all our relatives, especially the older ones use smartphones. They still use landlines or a basic mobile phone. There are some affordable options for phone landlines or mobile phones in South Africa Options include: German landline to SA landline Lycamobile – Lycamobile is a British mobile virtual network operator operating in 23 countries Mobile VOIP –