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
2025 Rugby Fixtures The 2025 Springboks rugby fixtures courtesy of Rugby365.com Six Nations The Six Nations can be viewed on More Than Sports TV The fixtures are listed on the Sixnationsrugby website Rugby Europe Championships The Rugby Europe championships will be broadcast on ProSieben Maxx, Joyn and ran.deInformation about the German Rugby team (some players with SA roots in the team) can be found on their
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!!
VPN’s are legal in Germany, but infringing on copyright and accessing content that should not be available can result in legal action. Copyrights are governed by GEMA – “The Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (GEMA; English: Society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights) is a government-mandated collecting society and performance rights organization based in Germany.”
This means if you want to watch a South African program but it has no license to air in Germany, and GEMA does not earn their fees, it would be considered illegal.
Info on the web
- Streamen – Article in German
- 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
- 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
Related content
Internet TV and mobile
Internet, mobile and television packages are usually sold as a bundle. Fibre is available in most big cities but not in remote towns. Legal After registering at the Bürgerampt you will receive a reminder to pay for your TV licence.Please make sure you know the rules regarding VPN’s, streaming services, and downloading music. The TKMoG (Telecommunications Modernisation Act), came into force on December 1, 2021. If the provider does not provide the contractually agreed transmission rate, the customer can now reduce the monthly fee based on the newly introduced proportional reduction right. A special right of termination can also be used under certain
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 you can explore a whole spectrum of Mzansi stations, all just a tap away. App / Website Description Radio South Africa Play your favourite
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 – With MobileVOIP, you can make cheap VoIP calls from your mobile phone. Airalo E-Sim Fraenk E-sim Rebtel – With Rebtel, you can use any
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