A new report by Cloudward revealed the number of hours residents in 100 countries globally have to work to afford a Netflix standard subscription.
The report showed that as Netflix continues to expand into global markets, residents in African countries have to work between three hours in Botswana and over four days in Rwanda to afford a standard subscription.
Of the top ten countries where residents have to work more hours to afford a Netflix standard subscription, seven—Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Niger, Benin Republic, Angola, and Zambia—were African.
The report surveyed 18 African countries, comparing the median monthly salary in each with the cost of a Netflix standard subscription.
In Botswana, where residents have to work three hours and 28 minutes, a Netflix standard subscription costs $7.99, against the monthly median salary of $405.71.
Furthermore, the survey shows that despite varying income levels across African countries, many continue to pay similar prices for Netflix subscriptions.
For instance, the monthly median salary in Eswatini, Sudan, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Rwanda is $321.22, $241.57, $192.53, $81.52, and $39.95, respectively. Yet, Netflix standard subscriptions in all of these countries $7.99.
This means that Netflix may not primarily consider income levels when determining prices. The report shows that the streaming giant considers licensing costs and local competition when determining pricing.
Hence, while residents in Eswatini need to work a little over four hours to afford the subscription, Ethiopian residents need to work two days.
Compared to Europeans, a Netflix subscription is far less affordable for Africans.
For example, in Norway, where the monthly median salary is $5,434.05 and a Netflix standard subscription costs $12.46, residents need only 24 minutes of work to afford it.
Similarly, in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, residents need 26 minutes and 36 minutes of work, respectively, to afford the subscription.
Moreover, while a Netflix basic subscription is much cheaper in most countries, residents in the African countries surveyed would have to work hours, and sometimes days in Rwanda, to afford it.
Given the pattern of subscription price hikes in some African countries, the time-equivalent cost of a Netflix subscription is likely to rise, amid continued economic strain across the continent.
