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Death and taxes are two of life’s certainties. The third though, is that stuff gets more expensive.
The most not-so-new but recent rationale to drill deeper into consumer pockets cite the devalued Rand, a weakened economy and so on and so forth as justification.
MultiChoice is pushing up the price of all its products from 1 April, and while the company notes that majority of its increases are below inflation, is there still bang for buck?
This in a new age where South Africans have access to most premium international streaming services. Unless watching seven channels of sport is worth nearly R12,000 every year.
Twenty years ago, the Rand traded at R7,77 to the greenback. Today, two decades later our currency’s stable point is at R15 to the dollar – roughly just more than double what it was.
READ MORE: DStv is hiking its prices and SA is not happy
In 2001, a DStv premium subscription was charged at R325,69. Right now, you are paying double-and-a-half more than then.
Box Office rentals are being pushed up by just under 15% to R40 a movie while premium subscriptions climb to R829.
Add PVR access to that at R105 from April and DStv will now cost as much as a trolley of monthly basics at the supermarket.
Conversely, an Apple One subscription that includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Music and Apple Games on a family sharing plan will set you back R184.
Indulging, a Netflix subscription starts at R99 along with Amazon Prime and Showmax, both at R99. Add it up and building your own bouquet of thousands of hours of movies, series, music and games comes in at under R500.
A decent data connection is around R400 these days.
Scheduled programming will ultimately head the same way that LPs, CD’s, celluloid and anything analog went.
In a world where work and home lives are intertwined and time increasingly scarce, entertainment dependent on a programme guide will be trumped, every time, by on-demand.
South Africans spend on average 4 hours and 12 minutes in front of the small screen every day, so many services, so little time, and even less disposable income than 20 years ago.
Netflix
Showmax
Apple TV
About the author:
Hein Kaiser is a seasoned journalist, broadcaster, producer, and marketing communication professional and has worked in a variety of markets, sectors, and countries.
He presently hosts the 360 Brunch over weekends on Mix 93.8FM, writes for the Citizen and consults to various companies on a strategic level.
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