Business
YouTube Premium Cracks Down on Family Sharing in South Africa
YouTube follows Netflix in limiting account sharing
Bad news for South Africans splitting the cost of YouTube Premium with friends or distant relatives: the platform is officially clamping down on Family Plan sharing.
Emails have already started going out to members who log in from far outside the “family manager’s” household. The message is clear: if you are not living under the same roof, your Premium access will be paused within 14 days. After that, you can still watch YouTube, but you’ll have to endure ads again unless you pay for your own plan.
What’s changing?
The rule itself is not new. YouTube’s terms of service have always required Family members to reside at the same address. But until now, the policy was rarely enforced. That loophole helped many South Africans save money by splitting a R149.99 monthly Family subscription across several households.
With up to six people allowed on one plan, some were effectively paying only R25 each for ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music Premium. Now, unless they actually live together, those savings are gone.
South Africa feels the pinch
The crackdown comes just months after YouTube hiked its Premium prices in South Africa. Individual plans rose from R71.99 to R81.99 per month, while Family plans jumped from R109.99 to R149.99.
For couples or flatmates, the deal still works out cheaper per person. But for those who used to split the plan with friends across the city or even in different provinces, it’s a costly blow.
On social media, the move is already drawing comparisons to Netflix’s highly controversial password-sharing crackdown in 2023. While users were initially outraged, Netflix’s subscriber numbers soared, proving the gamble was financially worth it. YouTube may be hoping for the same outcome.
A possible silver lining
There is one glimmer of hope: YouTube has begun testing a new two-person Premium plan in select countries. Unlike the Family plan, this option does not restrict users to the same household. Priced between the Individual and Family tiers, it is being positioned as a better fit for couples and roommates.
In India, the two-person plan is around 73% of the Family price. Applied to South African rates, that would work out to roughly R110 per month, close to what locals were paying for the Family plan before the recent hike.
The bigger picture
Streaming platforms are tightening their belts worldwide. As companies chase profitability, generous sharing arrangements are disappearing. For South Africans, where the cost of living is already biting, every extra rand on digital subscriptions stings.
If YouTube rolls out its two-person plan here, it could soften the blow for some. But for now, the reality is clear: the days of casually sharing YouTube Premium with friends across town are coming to an end.
Also read: South Africa’s Fuel Prices: Petrol Struggles While Diesel Finds Relief
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Source: MyBroadband
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