Do you wish to learn about the internet speed required for 4K streaming in South Africa? A lot of people have been moving to streaming for their viewing entertainment . That’s has largely been due to the gains that have been made in internet connectivity, as well as the reduction in data prices. In South Africa, the best known streaming services are Netflix and Showmax. Showmax is owned by DSTV. We have previously written about the speeds required for Netflix. In this article, we will focus on 4K streaming. What speeds do you require?
What speed do I need to stream 4K in South Africa?
The internet speed required for 4K video streaming in South Africa is at least 15 Mbps. It depends on the program through which you will be doing your streaming. Netflix’s recommended speed for 4K streaming is 15 Mbps. The second most popular streaming service, Showmax, currently doesn’t have 4K. They recommend that you get 4 Mbps connections for their 720p offering. Meanwhile, YouTube recommends 20 Mbps for 4K streaming, while Amazon Prime sets 15 Mbps as the minimum required download speed.
| Service | 4K Ultra HD (UHD) |
|---|---|
| Netflix | 15 Mbps |
| Showmax | No 4K |
| YouTube | 20 Mbps |
| Amazon Prime | 15 Mbps |
Where can you get these speeds in South Africa?
Those are the speeds that you require to stream 4k in South Africa. But which ISPs offer these speeds? At SA Broadband, we have carried out tests of the various ISPs that are out there. Which ones will allow you to stream at a minimum of 15Mbps? The table below shows the average download speeds for the different internet service providers that are operational in the country;
| ISP | Average Download Speed | Average Upload Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Afrihost | 43 Mbps | 31 Mbps |
| Cell C | 29 Mbps | 20 Mbps |
| Herotel | 29 Mbps | 23 Mbps |
| MTN Business | 25 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| MWEB | 25 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| Rain | 26 Mbps | 13 Mbps |
| Telkom | 24 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| Vodacom | 24 Mbps | 13 Mbps |
| Vox Telecom | 24 Mbps | 25 Mbps |
As you can see in the above table, all the major ISPS in South Africa provide speeds that exceed those required for 4K streaming. So, you shouldn’t have an issue whatever the network you may be on. Based on our tests, Afrihost currently has the best average upload and download speeds.
Note that our results are based on testing that is done on this website by thousands of South Africans. Our results are constantly being updated. We have a internet speed testing tool that you too can use to check your download and upload speeds. Information from those tests is gathered and it compiled into the averages that you see above.
Summary
In this article, we showed you the internet speed required for 4K streaming in South Africa. We noted that more and more South Africans are turning to online streaming for their entertainment.
However, in order for you to get a seamless experience, you need to sign up with an ISP that offers the best in terms of performance. We noted that you need at least 20 Mbps to be able to stream your shows in the country.
That’s dependent on whether you are using Netflix, Showmax or some other platform. Note that our averages do not mean those are the speeds that you are going to get. Carry out tests in your particular area to find the network that’s best for you.