How to watch the World Cup in South Africa

The World Cup Qatar 2022 will be the greatest football spectacle of the year. Unfortunately, South Africans cannot watch Bafana Bafana play in this year’s tournament. Although the national team is not among the 32 teams that will be playing in this competition, there are numerous other teams, including Ghana and Senegal, that you can’t afford to miss.

If you are wondering how to stream all the games in South Africa, today’s guide will walk you through free and paid ways to watch Qatar 2022.

TV Channels to Watch World Cup 2022 in South Africa

The South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) will be the primary broadcast platform for all the matches in South Africa. SABC, also known as SUID- Afrikaanse Uitsaaikorporasie (SAUK), is the official national broadcaster in South Africa. It provides six television channels and 19 radio stations for the citizens.

The state-owned broadcaster will offer the games on its various channels, including:

• SABC1
• SABC2

Fans can also listen to the games live in the language of their choice on its radio stations. The broadcaster will also provide live studio build-up with pre-match analysis, team news, and post-match on its radio stations and TV channels.

Unblock Your Favorite Events & Teams With a VPN

If you can’t watch your favorite events or teams because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.

Learn how to watch March Madness!

Get ExpressVPN Today

How to Stream Qatar 2022 in South Africa

The South African Broadcasting Corporation will provide access to the Qatar 2022 tournament. Unfortunately, the national broadcaster is limited when it comes to the number of streaming devices it supports. In fact, you can only watch the games live on TV, listen to the commentary on the radio, or on the official website.

Showmax is another excellent alternative to stream every match on your laptop, phone, smart TV, or iPhone. It is a streaming service owned by MultiChoice. The service was launched on August 19 2015 and has been competing with international streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix.

Football fans in South Africa and across Africa can stream every match with English commentary using Showmax. However, you must upgrade to Showmax pro to watch all the games. At the moment, subscribers pay R349 per month to access Showmax pro.

However, you must be in South Africa to use the service.

If you are traveling outside of South Africa, don’t worry. You will find other streaming services you can use to watch your favorite teams. FuboTV and Sling TV are your best bets in the US.

What Devices Support World Cup Streaming in South Africa?

SABC offers support for streaming through TV or web browser only. Showmax, on the other hand, provides more streaming devices such as android, smart TVs, web browsers, iPhones, and iPads.

Superpower Your Streaming With a VPN

For the sake of privacy, security, and access, you should be using a VPN. They are low-cost and easy to use. We’ve been using them for years and our top pick is ExpressVPN. Be sure to check out our deals page on ExpressVPN, NordVPN, SurfShark and PureVPN.

FIFA World Cup 2022 Schedule

As usual, Qatar 2022 will begin with group-stage matches before the top two teams in each group proceed to the last 16. The first match of Qatar 2022 will be played on November 20 at 11:00 am (EST) at the iconic Al Bayt Stadium when the hosts, Qatar, will take on Ecuador. The group stage matches will be played until December 2 2022.

From there, the top two countries in each group will proceed to the knockout phase, as explained below.

• Round of 16 – Starts on December 3 and ends on December 6
• Quarter Finals – Starts on December 9 and ends on December 10
• Semi-Finals – Will be played between December 13 to December 14
• 3 Place Playoff – Will be played on December 17
• Final – Will be played on December 18

Final Thoughts

Although South Africans will not have the joy of watching their national team in Qatar 2022, they can still watch their favorite teams on TV or through the streaming service we have discussed above.

World Cup Qatar 2022 Viewer’s Guides Outside the US

For more information on watching matches in different areas, see our World Cup VPN Guide.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow me

Sharon Amondi

Sharon is Editorial Assistant at HotDog.com. She is a writer and a storyteller who loves connecting with people through telling stories. When she is not working, she watches crime documentaries and series.

Follow me

Latest posts by Sharon Amondi (see all)