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Using a virtual private network (VPN) can allow Netflix subscribers in South Africa to access much larger libraries of movies and TV shows.
Netflix’s streaming service is available in a staggering 190 countries, but its catalog varies greatly from region to region.
This is mainly because different markets serve a wide range of audiences, who have their own unique preferences and taboos.
This informs the demand for broadcasters or service providers to broadcast or broadcast certain movies or television shows in particular regions.
In South Africa, Netflix faces competition for these rights from both international and local services.
This means that a user may have to subscribe to other services in order to view content that Netflix does not consider worthy of investment.
For example, John Wick 3 is available on Netflix in the UK, but it is only offered on Showmax in South Africa.
South Africans can generally only stream The Office through Amazon Prime Video, while the same show is available on Netflix in the US.
In other cases, these rights disparities favor South Africans, as in the case of Friends, which is still on Netflix in South Africa, but has been pulled from the service to appear on HBO Max in the US.
Subscribing to all services so you can see what you want can become a very expensive exercise.
There are also certain Netflix movies and TV shows that are exclusive to certain countries.
The answer is a VPN
Fortunately, a high-quality VPN service gives users the ability to view content from Netflix’s combined global library.
In addition to providing additional security against spy service providers, government entities, or malicious parties, VPNs can allow users to access libraries in other countries.
VPNs mask users’ IP addresses by redirecting network traffic through a server that could be in multiple locations.
As long as your chosen VPN supports the feature, you can select a server in a country where the Netflix library has a movie or show you’d like to watch.
Starting at just R40 per month, you can subscribe to Surfshark, a popular and reputable VPN.
Other well-known VPNs include ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and Cyberghost.
Netflix’s Largest Libraries
the Flixwatch website collects information on the sizes and contents of Netflix libraries in 100 countries.
According to their data, there are a total of 15,958 titles in Netflix’s global catalog, without taking into account the doubles.
Netflix in the UK currently offers the largest collection, with a total of 6,393 titles in originals, third party movies and TV shows, stand-up shows and reality shows.
The second largest number is Canada with 6,357 titles, followed by Ireland with 6,339.
Interestingly, the US is only ranked 16th on the list with a total library size of 5,992.
This could possibly be attributed to increased competition for content rights and the greater availability of streaming services in that country, meaning that certain companies may have pulled their content from Netflix.
South Africa fails to break into the top 30, even with a respectable total of 5,783 titles.
The table below shows how many titles are available in the top 30 countries offered by the largest Netflix libraries and how their content compares to South Africa.
| Countries with the largest Netflix libraries | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| country | Total | Films | TV shows | Originals | Documentary film | Get up | Reality tv |
| 1. United Kingdom | 6,393 | 3,385 | 1,749 | 2000 | 728 | 357 | 167 |
| 2. Canada | 6,357 | 3,538 | 1,585 | 2.007 | 725 | 351 | 151 |
| 3. Ireland | 6,339 | 3,337 | 1,751 | 1,998 | 720 | 356 | 168 |
| 4. Isle of Man | 6,295 | 3,263 | 1,769 | 2.004 | 732 | 357 | 167 |
| 5. Slovakia | 6,194 | 3,413 | 1,607 | 1,983 | 677 | 343 | 147 |
| 6. Malaysia | 6,179 | 3,281 | 1,758 | 1,970 | 642 | 342 | 149 |
| 7. Czech Republic | 6,174 | 3,406 | 1,597 | 1,982 | 675 | 342 | 147 |
| 8. Indonesia | 6,127 | 3230 | 1,753 | 1,966 | 645 | 342 | 150 |
| 9. Thailand | 6,102 | 3260 | 1,738 | 1,947 | 639 | 310 | 148 |
| 10. Australia | 6,071 | 3,201 | 1,668 | 1,987 | 695 | 350 | 150 |
| 11. Luxembourg | 6,047 | 3,130 | 1,731 | 1,965 | 658 | 364 | 157 |
| 12. Philippines | 6,041 | 3,259 | 1,735 | 1,674 | 646 | 344 | 150 |
| 13. Hungary | 6,035 | 3255 | 1,618 | 1,983 | 669 | 342 | 144 |
| 14. New Zealand | 6,020 | 3,177 | 1,645 | 1,990 | 687 | 350 | 154 |
| 15. Singapore | 6,015 | 3,179 | 1,750 | 1,934 | 623 | 311 | 145 |
| 16. United States | 5,992 | 3,064 | 1,642 | 2,017 | 754 | 355 | 170 |
| 17. Laos | 5,989 | 3,126 | 1,719 | 1,970 | 644 | 343 | 150 |
| 18. India | 5,983 | 3,049 | 1,755 | 1,982 | 675 | 344 | 153 |
| 19. Japan | 5,982 | 3,331 | 1,627 | 1,897 | 600 | 269 | 150 |
| 20. Romania | 5,947 | 3,305 | 1,509 | 1,963 | 672 | 308 | 146 |
| 21. Serbia | 5,943 | 3,156 | 1,626 | 1,966 | 665 | 342 | 147 |
| 22. Croatia | 5,942 | 3,163 | 1,616 | 1,963 | 667 | 342 | 147 |
| 23. Slovenia | 5,922 | 3,133 | 1,627 | 1,967 | 666 | 342 | 147 |
| 24. Jamaica | 5,908 | 3,135 | 1,567 | 2,020 | 698 | 351 | 150 |
| 25. Cambodia | 5,903 | 3,088 | 1,674 | 1,967 | 643 | 343 | 148 |
| 26. Nepal | 5,884 | 2,952 | 1,771 | 1,978 | 663 | 344 | 147 |
| 27. Bangladesh | 5,868 | 2,967 | 1,733 | 1,977 | 672 | 343 | 146 |
| 28. Vietnam | 5,852 | 3,173 | 1,585 | 1.94 | 631 | 310 | 146 |
| 29. Sri Lanka | 5,850 | 2,947 | 1,734 | 1,979 | 670 | 3. 4. 5 | 147 |
| 30. Panama | 5,850 | 3,107 | 1,552 | 2,015 | 687 | 348 | 149 |
| South Africa | 5,783 | 2,945 | 1,652 | 1,978 | 677 | 3. 4. 5 | 157 |
Choosing the right VPN and server
While a larger library might indicate a greater likelihood that a movie or TV show will be found in that country’s Netflix catalog, it is not yet guaranteed.
Therefore, it would be advisable to check the libraries of various countries to see if your preferred title is available.
It is very likely that there are specific movies and shows available in a country with a smaller total library than South Africa.
Once you have established a country in which the title can be broadcast, you can select an available server in the chosen country of your VPN.
When it comes to choosing the right VPN for streaming, you need to consider two key attributes.
- Capacity – The total number of servers.
- Locations – The number of countries or regions in which the servers are available.
The second factor is more important for transmission in general, although higher capacity will offer better performance and uptime.
VPNs can drain network resources due to the way data must be diverted between physically separate locations.
Other important features include the VPN’s policies on data sharing and storage.
Now Read: The Government Wants A 30% Local Content Quota For Streaming Services – Here’s Why
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