How to watch Showmax online from anywhere

Showmax is now only available in Africa, having restricted its reach in 2023. If you’re not in a supported African country, you’ll need to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access your favorite Showmax TV shows and movies.

A VPN is a service that creates an encrypted tunnel for the data traveling to and from your browsing or streaming device. When connecting to a VPN server in another country, you receive a new IP address. This makes it appear as if you’re browsing from that particular location. Aside from the fact that this helps you to browse securely and anonymously, the advantage of this  is that you can then access region-locked services like Showmax!

We’ve listed the top providers below, but make sure to scroll down for more detailed reviews.

Best VPNs for Showmax:

1. NordVPN: The best VPN for Showmax. 7,000+ servers in 117+ countries, including South Africa. Fast speeds and P2P servers. Highly secure with a strict no-logs policy, 24/7 support, and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Showmax.
2. Surfshark: A great value VPN. Works well with Showmax and Netflix. Connect all of your devices at once. Very quick connections. 24/7 support and Double VPN servers.
3. IPVanish: Speedy servers for streaming Showmax abroad. Unlimited simultaneous connections per account. Encryption and zero-logs policy help protect your privacy.
4. ExpressVPN: Network of around 3,000 servers in 105+ countries. Fast connections for streaming Showmax lag-free. User-friendly with 24/7 support and strong security.
5. CyberGhost: 10,000 servers in 100 countries. Unblock and stream Showmax as well as Netflix US. Can be used on up to seven devices at once. Strict no-logs policy.
6. Hotspot Shield: Servers in 80 countries for easy unblocking of Showmax. No throttling. 24/7 support and lots of security features, including a password manager.
7. PrivateVPN: Reliable unblocking of Showmax, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer. Secure servers and a strict no-logs policy. Effective obfuscation. Option to pay in Bitcoin.

How to watch Showmax online from abroad with a VPN

Even if this is your first time using a VPN, you’ll likely be all set up in a matter of minutes. That’s because the VPNs recommended in this post offer user-friendly apps and include live chat and email support.

Here’s how to watch Showmax online from anywhere:

1. Sign up with a VPN service that unblocks Showmax. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Download and install the VPN app that’s compatible with your streaming device. You can use any of the VPNs listed in this post to connect multiple devices at once.
3. Open the VPN app and connect to a server in a country in which Showmax is available. For example, you could use a server in South Africa to get a South African IP address.
4. Go to Showmax (via web or app) and select your preferred content. This should now play without any further geographic restrictions.
5. Still doesn’t work? Try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. Alternatively, connect to another server or contact your VPN’s customer support.

How we found the top VPNs for Showmax

Relatively few VPNs are suitable for streaming Showmax from abroad. The majority tend to be too slow, lack a decent server network or fail miserably at unblocking streaming sites. To find providers that were up to the task, we tested them in the following areas:

• Speed: Showmax recommends that its users have a download speed of between five and 10 Mbps “for the best experience”. As speed is key to interruption-free streaming, we looked for the fastest providers by carrying out multiple tests while connected to their servers in South Africa.
• Server availability: We first checked that providers had servers in Showmax’s core market — South Africa. We then scored the VPNs on their global reach and their overall number of servers. Those with a high score were best-placed to access different country versions of Showmax.
• Security and privacy: VPNs should prioritise protecting your online activities from potentially malicious third parties. We screened providers by evaluating them against 16 different security and privacy criteria.
• Streaming: In addition to being able to access Showmax, we were interested in providers that could additionally access other popular streaming platforms — and that performed well against six other streaming-related metrics.
• Ease of use: We try to only recommend providers that provide user-friendly services. To find out which these are, we evaluate them against 10 different ease-of-use metrics.

We explain more about our in-depth testing process in our VPN testing methodology later in this article. First, lets take a closer look at the VPNs that made our list.

Best VPNs for Showmax: at a glance

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Showmax.

Best VPNs to watch Showmax online from anywhere

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for Showmax:

1. NordVPN

Apr 2025 unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

NordVPN is our top choice VPN for watching Showmax. It provides more than 50 servers in South Africa, and with 7,400+ servers in 117+ countries worldwide, you should be able to access most countries’ versions of Showmax.

NordVPN is a particularly strong choice for streaming thanks to its fast speeds. In our tests, the provider averaged 188.52 Mbps. Given that this connection was spanning more than 14,000 km, this a is a superb result.

Although Showmax doesn’t have 4K content, NordVPN is easily fast enough to stream Netflix in 4K. And yes, the provider does work with Netflix. We successfully tested it with this and a range of other popular streaming platforms (including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer). We also tested it with other South African TV platforms like DStv and SuperSport, and it worked a treat.

You may notice that NordVPN provides a range of specialty servers. Some are optimized for P2P traffic, while others (Double VPN and Onion Over VPN) provide an extra layer of security.

All of your internet traffic is routed through a 256-bit AES encrypted tunnel, while NordVPN also operates a strict no-logs policy (it completed its second no-logs audit in 2020). You can also expect DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and 24/7 support (available via live chat and email).

NordVPN apps are available for the following: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Upon signing up, you’ll be able to secure up to 10 of your devices simultaneously. Browser extensions can also be downloaded for Chrome and Firefox. In order to use NordVPN with your router, you’ll need to configure this manually.

BEST VPN FOR SHOWMAX:NordVPN is our #1 recommendation. 7,000+ servers globally and very fast speeds for lag-free streaming of Showmax. Specialty P2P and Double VPN servers. 24/7 support. Secure with a strict no-logs policy and encryption. Try it risk-free thanks to the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

Surfshark now offers more than 3,200 servers in 100+ countries. As such, you’ll have no problem unblocking and streaming Showmax. Indeed, this VPN also works well with Netflix — we’ve been able to use it to access some 30+ Netflix libraries to date!

While most VPNs only allow a handful of simultaneous connections, Surfshark lets you connect an unlimited number at the same time. It’s also extremely quick. In our tests, it averaged 180.71 Mbps — which is more than 66 Mbps faster than the combined average speed of the other tested providers.

Its fast speeds make it suitable for a range of tasks, including streaming, gaming, and torrenting.

This VPN includes live chat and email support, which you can reach 24 hours per day, should you need it. There’s also an impressive selection of security features. These start with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch.

However, Surfshark goes one step further with the option of connecting to a MultiHop (Double VPN) server for an extra layer of encryption. The CleanWeb feature also works to block ads, trackers, and malware.

You’ll find Surfshark apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are also available. This VPN is compatible with select routers, although manual setup is required.

BEST VALUE VPN:Surfshark offers great value with its offer of unlimited simultaneous connections. Fast speeds for streaming Showmax and Netflix. 24/7 support via live chat and email. Double VPN servers for an extra layer of security. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

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3. IPVanish

unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

IPVanish is a strong VPN choice for streaming. It continues to expand its network, which now stands at nearly 2,400 servers in dozens of countries. So, aside from Showmax, you can use this VPN to unblock and stream Netflix US, among other services.

Speeds are more than fast enough for lag and buffering-free streaming. IPVanish performed solidly in our three speed tests, achieving an overall average of 154.42 Mbps.

You’ll also be able to enjoy unlimited bandwidth. If you’re looking to share your VPN with your family, it’s worth knowing that IPVanish lets you connect as many devices as you want at once.

This VPN operates a zero-logs policy, so you can be sure that your identity is intact. Security features include 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and split tunneling.

While IPVanish is easy to use (you can even automatically connect to the best available server), 24/7 live chat and email support is available. Unlike most VPN providers, IPVanish owns and operates its servers, providing it with a greater level of control and reduced risk of interference from third parties.

IPVanish apps are offered for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV. IPVanish provides manual setup instructions if you’d like to use it with Linux or your wi-fi router.

UNLIMITED DEVICES:IPVanish lets you connect an unlimited number of devices at once. Good speeds for streaming Showmax. Also works with Netflix US. Includes 24/7 support and has a zero-logs policy so you can browse anonymously. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries. This includes several countries where Showmax is available, such as Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. In addition to Showmax, the VPN can also consistently unblock the most popular streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus.

Furthermore, you can expect good speeds. When connected to ExpressVPN servers in South Africa, we got an average download speed of 113.48 Mbps. 

This is fast enough for streaming Showmax in HD and other platforms in 4K if available. However, your base connection speed needs to be fast enough for this—a VPN cannot speed up slow connections.

ExpressVPN’s beginner-friendly apps make the software particularly easy to use. Note also that there’s 24/7 support via live chat as well as email. Security-wise, ExpressVPN keeps you safe from hackers by using 256-bit AES encryption. You’re also protected from DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks, while a kill switch cuts your connection should the VPN connection drop.

Notably, ExpressVPN doesn’t keep any identifying logs, so you can browse anonymously. The only downside is the price in comparison to other similar services.

ExpressVPN allows up to eight simultaneous connections and offers apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Browser extensions are offered for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. There’s even custom firmware for routers that now offers an interactive setup guide to make things even easier.

STRONG ALL-ROUNDER:ExpressVPN offers fast speeds and reliable unblocking of Showmax, Netflix, and more. Easy-to-use apps and 24/7 live chat and email support. Security includes high-end encryption and a kill switch. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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5. CyberGhost

unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

CyberGhost has a network that now stands over 10,000 servers strong. Better still, this is spread across over 100+ countries. With so much choice, you won’t have any trouble finding one that works with Showmax.

For other, more difficult-to-access platforms, you can use CyberGhost’s streaming servers. These work with everything from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video through to BBC iPlayer and Hulu.

The provider allows unlimited bandwidth, and its speeds are generally excellent. When connected to its servers in South Africa, our tested download speeds averaged 133.18 Mbps. 

This is easily fast enough for watching Showmax content at 1080p — which is the highest resolution available.

CyberGhost is a secure VPN thanks to its 256-bit AES encryption and strict no-logs policy. This security is further reinforced with a kill switch and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks.

Should you encounter any issues, you can contact staff via live chat or email support, 24 hours per day. Recent further additions include CyberGhost’s own password manager while a Security Suite for Windows has also been released.

CyberGhost apps are available for desktop (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and mobile (Android and iOS). Amazon Fire TV and Android TV apps are also available, as are Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. Manual setup is necessary to use it with your wireless router.

STRONG SECURITY:CyberGhost has an impressive 10,000 servers in 100+ countries. Unlimited bandwidth for non-stop streaming of Showmax and Netflix US. Can be used on seven devices at the same time. Lots of security features. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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6. Hotspot Shield

unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

Hotspot Shield stands out for offering servers in as many as 80 countries around the world. The good news is that this includes countries in which Showmax is available such as South Africa. Not only that, but it also successfully unblocks Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.

Speeds are fast enough for streaming Showmax, but you’ll probably want a faster VPN provider if you’re a gamer or have a high-speed internet connection that you want to preserve. While connected to Hotspot Shield’s servers in South Africa, the average speed was 49.90 Mbps.

If you sign up with Hotspot Shield, you’ll have 24/7 access to its live chat and email support. Indeed, you can benefit from a whole host of features, including a password manager and obfuscation.

When it comes to security, Hotspot Shield protects you with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. It doesn’t keep any logs that can identify you, allowing you to browse and stream anonymously.

To use Hotspot Shield, download an app for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, or Linux. A Chrome browser extension is also available. Follow manual setup instructions to use this VPN with your router.

PACKED WITH FEATURES:Hotspot Shield offers servers in 80 countries so you can unblock Showmax with ease. Also works with Amazon Prime and Hulu. 24/7 support and doesn’t keep identifying logs. Includes a password manager. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

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7. PrivateVPN

unblocks showmaxTested Apr 2025

PrivateVPN is a solid choice for streaming and offers secure servers in over 63 countries. Its servers in Nigeria and South Africa work with Showmax.

There’s no bandwidth throttling so you can stream and torrent without restriction. It also possesses very reliable unblocking abilities and worked well with Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus when tested.

The PrivateVPN apps are particularly easy to navigate, and you can connect to a server with a single click. Users with more VPN experience can switch to the Advanced View for customization options.

Speed-wise, PrivateVPN’s test results were a little variable, with a high of 58.06 Mbps and a low of 40.69 Mbps.

Overall, it averaged 48.32 Mbps, which is still fast enough to meet the Showmax (and Netflix) minimum speed requirements for streaming in the highest resolution available.

Live chat support is available while email support is very fast to reply compared to many other VPNs we’ve tested. You can pay for this VPN anonymously in Bitcoin. Indeed, PrivateVPN protects your privacy with a strict no-logs policy. 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and protection from DNS leaks are also included.

Connect up to 10 devices simultaneously via PrivateVPN’s apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. While it’s compatible with Linux and select routers, manual configuration is required in these cases.

LAG-FREE STREAMING:PrivateVPN combines fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth for lag and buffer-free streaming of Showmax. User-friendly apps and fast and friendly support. Strict no-logs policy and encryption for your security. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Methodology: Finding the best VPNs for watching Showmax

It can be frustrating to travel abroad only to find that your favorite online content is geo-blocked. While Showmax is available in several African countries, you’ll need a VPN to access it elsewhere. Choosing a provider from the multitude on offer isn’t easy, as there are several variables you need to take into consideration. The good news is that we’ve done the hard work for you as part of our testing process. We put providers through their paces in the following areas:

Speed

Showmax’s primary markets are in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. As most quality VPN providers have servers in South Africa, we used these for comparing how fast each provider was.

Measurements were taken using the desktop version of the Ookla speed testing app. We rate-limited our connection to 250 Mbps, which is the median download speed in the US, and thus representative of the speeds many of our readers will be familiar with.

Once the speed test results had been collected, we averaged them and converted them to a score out of 10. This makes it easier to see which providers are fastest independently of their actual speeds.

NordVPN achieved the highest score and was the fastest provider overall. It was closely followed by Surfshark. Hotspot Shield and PrivateVPN were the slowest providers, with speeds less than a third that of the fastest two VPNs.

Server availability

More servers in more places means less congestion and more options for accessing geo-restricted content. We first scored providers on the number of server locations they had in Showmax’s primary market — South Africa. We then scored them on the number of other countries they supported and how many servers they had overall. These scores were averaged and converted to a score out of 10.

CyberGhost scored highest thanks to the sheer number of servers in its network. NordVPN took second place. PrivateVPN, which only has around 200 servers, came last.

Streaming

While we prioritized recommending VPNs that can unblock Showmax, we keep a bigger picture in mind. There may be moments when you want to access another streaming service, perhaps on a VPN-incompatible device. To make sure we test for all circumstances, we evaluated VPNs against the metrics in the table below.

Each metric was scored, and the scores combined to give an overall score out of 10. This makes it easier to compare provider’s relative streaming prowess.

Three providers were equally high-scoring: NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN. These combine excellent unblocking abilities with features such as smart DNS.

Security and privacy

Don’t want your ISP or faceless third-parties knowing what you’re doing online? Then make sure to choose a VPN that performs well against the security and privacy metrics in the table below.

If the terminology doesn’t mean much to you, we’ve made it easier to compare providers by scoring each of the above metrics and then combining them to produce more digestible scores out of 10.

NordVPN and Surfshark scored highest for security and privacy, making them the natural choices for those who want to protect themselves online.

Ease of use

If you’re singing up to a two-year subscription, you want to be sure that you’ve chosen a user-friendly service. You can see where providers perform best by browsing the different criteria in the table below.

To make overall comparison easier, we scored each of the above criteria and combined the scores to generate an overall score out of 10.

NordVPN provided the most streamlined service overall. IPVanish or ExpressVPN also have notably mellow learning curves.

Showmax VPN FAQs