The Walt Disney Company has announced that South African consumers will see a price increase for its Disney+ streaming service.

Here’s a look at what you should know about the increase and how much you will have to pay for the service from now on.

How much will Disney+ cost with the price increase?

The new price for Disney+ in South Africa will be R139 per month or R1,390 per year if you buy your subscription directly from Disney.

This is an increase from the original pricing of R119 per month or R1,190 per year.

So if you’re a subscriber, you’re looking at a price increase of R20 per month for monthly plans and R200 per year for the annual plan.

When does the new Disney+ price take effect?

The new prices for Disney+ in South Africa take effect from 19 July 2023.

As Disney states in its pricing FAQ: “All existing users who have purchased their subscription directly from Disney+ before 19 July will be charged at the renewed subscription prices on the date of renewal if it falls on or after 19 July 2023.”

Annual and monthly subscribers who get their subscription directly from Disney or with an “Add to Bill” functionality should receive an SMS notification.

However, those who subscribe through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store will see their prices change only after receiving the notification from their respective app stores.

According to The Walt Disney Company, notifications from the app stores will go through on 19 July. The new price will then come into effect after 30 days for App Store customers, and after 60 days for Play Store customers.

Why is Disney increasing the price of its streaming service?

The Walt Disney Company has said that the new price better reflects the value of the content available on the Disney+ platform.

This is similar reasoning that Netflix gave when it increased its prices in South Africa in 2022.

The price increase brings the local pricing closer to the US price for the service. However, South Africans are still paying less than a direct Dollar conversion.

A monthly ad-free plan in the US costs $11 per month, while the annual ad-free plan costs $110 per year. Disney does not offer plans with ads in South Africa.

Using the Dollar-to-Rand exchange rate for 15 June 2023, the US plans would cost about R203 per month or R2,030.

So while this price increase slightly raises the cost of streaming in South Africa, we are still getting a better deal than some of our international peers.