Google has increased the price of its YouTube Premium for individual and family account users in South Africa by 14% and 36.4%, respectively. The hike, which affects YouTube Music’s monthly subscription, is the first time Google has adjusted prices on both services since their local rollout in March 2019.
Google began notifying existing subscribers about the increase in a Friday e-mail, stating that the development will allow YouTube to enhance its service delivery and features. It noted that the changes are already in effect for new users, while existing customers will start paying the updated fees on their first billing dates in June 2025.
“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,” part of the notification reads.
YouTube Premium’s individual plan price increased by 14% from R71.99 to R81.99 per month, while the YouTube Premium Family subscribers witnessed the biggest increase, with this option jumping from R109.99 to R149.99 per month, representing a 36.4% rise.
YouTube Premium’s most significant selling point has been its ad-free YouTube video playback.
See Also: YouTube surpasses 1 billion monthly podcast viewers to solidify its dominance.
For YouTube Music, the individual plan increased by 8% from R59.99 to R64.99, and the family plans increased by 11% to R99.99 from R89.99.
YouTube Music is a streaming app that replaced the company’s Google Play Music service. Its main competitors are Spotify and Apple Music. A YouTube Music subscription allows app users to listen to millions of songs ad-free with additional features, including downloads for offline playback.
Notably, the South African Rand has weakened significantly against the dollar. The average dollar-to-rand exchange rate in March 2019 was R14.39, compared with the roughly R18.25 average as of March 2025. The currency is worth 27% less than when YouTube Premium launched in South Africa.
YouTube Premium’s price hike in SA: a precursor for other African nations
Some experts believe the recent YouTube Premium price hike is a pointer for how much other YouTube Premium subscribers across Africa. may need to start paying going forward.
In Nigeria, subscribers currently pay N1,700 for the YouTube individual and N2,800 for the YouTube Family. YouTube Premium has expanded to include other African countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Libya, and Morocco.
The latest increase in South Africa also follows Google’s decision to increase YouTube Premium subscription prices across Europe, the Middle East, and South America, which has been effective since November 2024.
In certain EU countries, the monthly cost of family plans jumped from €17.99 to €25.99, while individual subscriptions increased from €11.99 to €13.99. Similar price adjustments emerged in markets such as Singapore, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia, with users documenting these changes on social media platforms, specifically Reddit.
This price adjustment follows a previous increase experienced by US subscribers, who saw their Premium fees rise from $11.99 to $13.99 in 2023. The Family plan also saw a jump from $17.99 to $22.99.
The increases reportedly affected various streaming services, including Disney Plus and Paramount Plus, which have also raised their prices recently.
However, Google’s plan to reintroduce YouTube Premium Lite spells a new consideration. The company noted that it is working on rolling out a premium lite plan that will offer a new, lower-priced version of its paid video service. When launched, the cheap subscription package will target viewers who want to watch programmes other than videos.
The premium lite plan will first be launched in the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand. It will offer features like a vast library of podcasts and “how-to” clips without advertising.
“As part of our commitment to provide our users with more choice and flexibility, we’ve been testing a new YouTube Premium offering with most videos ad-free in several of our markets. We’re hoping to expand this offering to even more users in the future with our partners’ support,” YouTube said last month.
An October 2024 report pointed out that the premium lite plan has been tested in overseas markets for months. The plan will now officially roll out globally for the first time. The lower-priced plan holds potential as it might allow users to avoid ads.
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