YouTube Premium price hike in South Africa

Google-owned YouTube is hiking the cost of YouTube Premium in South Africa by almost 14% to R81.99/month, though that price remains well below most markets, including the US.

YouTube Premium offers ad-free access to the video platform and includes access to YouTube Music, a competitor to the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.

The price of YouTube Premium Family plans will jump to R149.99/month, from R109.99 previously, representing a huge increase of 36.4%.

The price of the standalone YouTube Music plan is also being increased

“We hope you are enjoying your YouTube Premium benefits, including ad-free and downloadable videos, background play and uninterrupted access to over 100 million songs with the YouTube Music app,” YouTube said in e-mail communication to customers on Friday morning.

“To continue delivering great service and features, we’re increasing your price to R81.99/month. We don’t make these decisions lightly, but this update will allow us to continue to improve Premium and support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube.”

YouTube Music

The price of the standalone YouTube Music plan is also being increased, from R59.99 to R64.99/month, an increase of 8.3%. The YouTube Music Family plan is also getting a price increase: R89.99 to R99.99/month, an increase of 11.1%.