Is using a VPN legal in South Africa?

Currently, there are no laws in South Africa that restrict or ban VPNs. This means you won't get into any trouble using a VPN to protect your data and privacy online. However, please don’t use it for illegal activities because you’ll face the music.

Can I get a South African IP address with a free VPN?

It is theoretically possible to obtain a South African IP address with a free VPN. However, you should ideally avoid using free VPN services. This is because most of them have fewer servers, which causes prolonged speeds. Also, as mentioned earlier, they may steal users’ information and sell it to third parties.

Is there an affordable VPN in South Africa?

While using a free VPN is discouraged, you don’t have to break a bank to browse safely with a South African VPN. Several premium services such as Surfshark and NordVPN offer affordable packages. Also, you can take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantee to use the services risk-free.

What will a South African VPN protect me against?

One of the main uses of a VPN is to safeguard your online security and privacy. Firstly, it scrambles your traffic to make it unreadable to unauthorized people. Second, by changing your actual IP address, no one can trace your location. Thirdly, some VPNs have inbuilt malware blockers to protect your devices.

Will a VPN affect my internet speed in South Africa?

Yes, but the extent of this impact depends on the service you use. Typically, a VPN slows down your speed because it encrypts your data and routes the traffic through external servers. The problem becomes even worse if the provider has fewer servers. However, premium VPNs use advanced technology to mitigate speed loss.

5 best VPNs for South Africa in 2023 (become free online)

Sneak peek at South Africa VPNs

South Africa is among those countries that allow their citizens to enjoy complete internet freedom with no strict laws. However, there is always a risk of tracking, identity theft, hacking, and other cybercrimes. Besides, accessing local (from outside SA) and geo-restricted content and sites is always challenging. Nonetheless, VPNs are the best options in such cases. Some of the best South Africa VPNs not only offer multiple fast and secure SA servers but also maintain your online privacy. Moreover, these resilient VPNs allow unblocking the banned content within or outside the country.

South Africa is technologically advanced, with one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most significant internet penetration rates. However, although there is internet freedom in the country, you can never know who tracks your online movements.

The best way to maintain your online privacy is by using a virtual private network (VPN). Besides, it will also help you avoid geo-restrictions to unblock content and services from anywhere.

So, this article reviews the best VPNs for South Africa to help you pick the perfect service to protect your privacy. Also, you’ll learn how to use a VPN in South Africa, which providers you should avoid in RSA, and much more.

Quick summary of the top South African VPNs

Here is a quick list of the best VPNs for South Africa if you don’t have the time to go through the entire article.

NordVPN – Our #1 recommended VPN for South Africa. The service follows a strict zero-logs policy, offers NordLynx protocol, automatic kill switch, and CyberSec ad blocker.
Private Internet Access – Its biggest strength is its massive server network. Allows you to customize the encryption level, does not keep logs, effective ad blocker, and 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark – Best budget-friendly South African VPN. It comes with support for unlimited simultaneous connections, Camouflage Mode, MultiHop servers, and military-grade encryption.
ExpressVPN – Offers good-speed servers in South Africa. The provider has impeccable security, fast-speed servers, and excellent unblocking capabilities.
IPVanish – All-round VPN for RSA (the Republic of South Africa). It bypasses geo-restrictions, is compatible with almost all devices, and provides strong encryption as well as an automatic kill switch.

Research methodology: How we choose these VPNs for South Africa

We tested more than 100 VPNs to ascertain the best services that work in South Africa. Here are the criteria we used in our research.

South African servers

The best VPN service for South Africa should have multiple servers in the country. This will help you access local channels such as SABC 1 and banking services like Absa Group when abroad. All the VPNs on this list have at least one server in South Africa.

Unblocking capability

A VPN with a global server network will help you bypass content restrictions. In this guide, we have featured VPN services with superior unblocking capability. So, when you are in South Africa, you can access the desired library of your preferred streaming services such as Netflix US, HBO Max, etc. using these VPNs.

Security

Another primary reason for using a VPN is to protect your online connections. Thankfully, all the VPNs on this list have adequate security features like military-grade encryption, kill switch, and more.

Speed

You wouldn’t want to wait for a web page to load or a video to buffer forever. So, we did a VPN speed test by connecting to servers in different locations to see how they perform. The ones on this list are fast enough and will help you to browse and stream uninterrupted.