#1Owambe Thieves
2025
Content & Catalog
What to watch on Kava?
Content TypesMovies · Series · Offline
SubtitlesEnglish
Payment methodsCredit card · Debit card
Subscription VODWorks with VPNUpdated June 24, 2026
Reviewed by Radek Vlček · Affiliate DisclosureOur website contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
How to Watch Kava from Anywhere: VPN Guide 2026
Two of Nollywood’s biggest names, Inkblot Studios and FilmHouse Group, went live in August 2025 with a service built and owned by people inside the industry rather than a foreign conglomerate. The Kava service curates premium Nollywood and drops exclusive post‑theatrical premieres you will not find on the big global platforms. Launch titles ran from Owambe Thieves and Alakada Bad and Boujee to Queen Lateefah and House Job, with fresh films arriving every week.
If you live in the diaspora, the catalogue is built for you, yet a twist trips up plenty of viewers. Films already streaming on Netflix across Africa, such as Lisabi: The Uprising, are locked to international audiences only, so what you see shifts with your location. Kava is a paid subscription, and the current price is shown at sign‑up on kava.tv, with no free tier or trial. A ExpressVPN connection to a Lagos server returns the home catalogue, including those region‑locked premieres, in 1080p.
25
Countries
1080p
Max quality
4 of 7
VPNs work
2-3 min
Ready in
Quick answer
Can I watch Kava while travelling abroad?
Yes. The service was designed for the global Nigerian diaspora, so you can sign up and stream from almost anywhere. It is a paid subscription with no free tier or trial, and the current price appears at sign‑up. The catch is geo‑aware: some titles play only outside Africa, others only inside it. To see the full home catalogue and unlock region‑restricted premieres, connect through ExpressVPN to a server in Nigeria, then open the player as usual.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for Kava
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | Kava | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 ExpressVPNBEST | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Try it |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Open |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 2 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | July 5 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | July 1 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | June 30 | Open |
✓ WorksTested July 5
✓ WorksTested July 4
✓ WorksTested July 5
✓ WorksTested July 2
~ PartialTested July 5
~ PartialTested July 1
~ PartialTested June 30
Tested on July 5, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 4 working · residential IP from Nigeria · Kava updates detection continuously, results may change.
Streaming service blocking your VPN? Just disconnect and hop onto a different server in the same country. Stick to the ones labeled “streaming” or “optimized” because they’re literally built for this.
How-to
How to Unblock Kava with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNChoose ExpressVPN for fast Lagos servers and steady speeds wherever you settle. On the monthly tier expect $2.79, and a yearly plan works out cheaper.Skip free VPNs; they rarely hold a Nigerian server and the stream stutters.
- Connect to a Nigeria serverSelect Lagos or any city in Nigeria. A local IP address tells the platform you are home, so the in‑country catalogue and its exclusive premieres load.
- Sign in and open the serviceEnter your account details and launch the player in the browser, the mobile app, or on a smart TV. It is a paid subscription, with the current price shown when you create the account.
- Start a film and enjoyPick a title and press play. Picture quality climbs to 1080p, and you can download films for offline viewing on the move.
Ready to watch Kava without borders?
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Availability
Which countries is Kava available in?
Kava works in 25 countries, including in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand. In 169 more it is blocked, and outside available regions you will need a VPN.
Available in 25 countries No VPN needed
Kava works without a VPN in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada, in New Zealand, in Ireland and in Germany, plus in 18 more countries.
Blocked in 169 countries VPN required
Show all 157 more countries
BahamasBahrainBangladeshBelarusBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana
British Virgin Islands
BruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCongo (DRC)Costa RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandGabonGambiaGeorgiaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelJordanKazakhstanKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSri LankaSudanSurinameSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUAEUgandaUkraineUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabweKava is blocked in Japan, in India, in Brazil, in Afghanistan and in Albania, plus in 164 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
Available
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: June 20, 2026
Steer clear of free VPNs. Most of them actually collect and sell your data, lack proper security audits, and can even expose you to malware. They’re also useless for streaming. Platforms block them instantly, leaving you with more headaches than solutions. Stick to paid VPNs with verified audits, like ExpressVPN, if you want something that actually works.
Pricing & Plans
How Much Does Kava Cost?
Most Popular
Monthly
$5.99
/month
- Up to 1080p
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
PoliciesNo refund guarantee
Ready to subscribe to Kava?
Go to the official website: no VPN needed if you’re in a supported country.
About the platform
Who’s behind the service?
What is Kava
Kava is a premium subscription service devoted entirely to Nollywood cinema. Launched in August 2025, it is a joint venture between two giants of Nigerian film, Inkblot Studios and the Filmhouse Group with FilmOne. There are no ads and no free tier, and the platform is squarely aimed at the global Nigerian diaspora as well as audiences back home in Nigeria. The library opens with more than thirty handpicked films and grows by roughly three or four a month, often arriving soon after their cinema run. Look out for titles such as Alakada: Bad and Boujee, Owambe Thieves and House Job. You can watch on the web, iOS and Android, save films for offline viewing, and stream in up to 1080p.
Company and history
Major changes
- In July 2025 Inkblot Studios and FilmHouse Group announced a joint venture, a global Nollywood streaming service built by industry insiders and aimed squarely at the diaspora audience.
- The platform launched in Lagos in August 2025 with more than thirty premium Nollywood titles, including exclusive post‑theatrical premieres, and a promise of fresh content every week.
- On 21 August 2025, a day after the local rollout, the kava.tv website went live alongside a UK launch, the first major push toward diaspora viewers outside Africa.
- In March 2026 Canal+, now in control of MultiChoice, announced the shutdown of pan‑African Showmax after eleven years, weighed down by over $428 million in losses from its final years. The younger Kava remained a Nigerian alternative.
- By April 2026 the Kava catalogue had deepened, pairing classics like The Wedding Party and Living in Bondage with newer titles such as Red Circle and The Masked King, plus a new short‑film library opened with the #Messy collection.
- In June 2026 Kava added fresh Nigerian premieres and shipped an iOS app update that clarified which titles are available region by region for diaspora viewers.
Trust signals
Still can’t open Kava where you are?
Connect ExpressVPN, pick a supported country, and you’re streaming Kava in minutes, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
1080pHDRDolby VisionDolby Atmos
UX features
Continue watching
Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our Kava testing team · Updated June 20, 2026
- Kava is Nollywood only, focused on FilmOne's post-cinema releases, so expect Nigerian films to land here soon after their theatrical run instead of broad international titles.
- Prices appear at sign-up rather than upfront, so compare the Nigerian plan against the diaspora plan, which gives you 50% off for your first three months.
- There is no free trial on Kava, so you pay from day one, lean on that diaspora intro discount to keep your first months cheap.
- Stream on phone, tablet, smart TV or browser, and download titles for offline viewing before a flight or a patchy connection.
- Outside Nigeria? Connect ExpressVPN to a Nigerian server to unlock Kava's full catalogue, since the diaspora region can lag behind home availability.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to Kava.
Kava is a paid subscription, and the current price is shown at sign‑up on kava.tv. The figure varies by market, so we do not quote a number here that could go stale. There is no free tier and no trial, so you pay from month one. A ExpressVPN connection never changes the price; it only adjusts the catalogue tied to your location.
No. Kava is a pure subscription service, ad‑free, with no free version and no trial period. You pay from the very first month, and the exact amount appears when you create your account. A ExpressVPN does not replace that subscription; it simply returns the full home catalogue, including titles locked to diaspora viewers, by switching your virtual location.
Part of the Kava catalogue is geo‑aware. Films already on Netflix across Africa, such as Lisabi: The Uprising, play only outside the continent, while others run only inside it. Kava reads your IP and shifts what you can see. A Lagos server brings back the home catalogue and its region‑locked premieres, which is exactly what ExpressVPN handles.
Expect more than thirty premium Nollywood titles on Kava, from Owambe Thieves and Alakada Bad and Boujee to House Job, plus fresh films every week. The model runs cinema, then sometimes a global streamer, then an exclusive premiere here. There is no live TV, sport, or kids section. With ExpressVPN you also unlock titles reserved for Africa.
Yes. Kava runs in the browser, on iOS and Android, and on smart TVs, so you can stream on the big screen in the living room. There are no separate profiles yet; one account covers the household. Pair it with ExpressVPN on a Nigeria server and it works the same way, just with the home catalogue loaded instead of the diaspora cut.
Yes. You can save Kava titles to a phone or tablet and watch without a connection, handy on a flight or a patchy network. Keep in mind that downloaded region‑locked films match the catalogue you saw when you connected, so reach for ExpressVPN on a Nigeria server first if you want the in‑country premieres for offline viewing.
Kava was founded in 2025 by two Nollywood heavyweights, Inkblot Studios under Chinaza Onuzo and FilmHouse Group under Kene Okwuosa. The founders stress that it is built and owned by people inside the industry, not a foreign conglomerate. Point ExpressVPN at Nigeria and you get exactly the catalogue these creators assemble for the home audience.
It depends on what you want. Netflix Naija has wider reach and a localized interface, while Kava leans on exclusive Nollywood premieres you will not find elsewhere, with a tightly curated catalogue. With ExpressVPN you also see titles that sit on Netflix in Africa but are locked to the diaspora here, closing part of the gap.
No. There is no trial and no free tier, which is unusual for a new streamer. You commit from your first Kava payment, and the price you will pay is shown before you confirm. If a title will not play in your country, that is geo‑restriction, not a billing issue; a server in Nigeria via ExpressVPN restores the missing premieres.
Kava streams reach up to 1080p, which suits both mobile viewing and a smart TV in the living room. Picture quality scales with your connection speed, so a stable line matters more than anything else. A ExpressVPN can add a little latency, yet a nearby fast server keeps playback smooth while it loads the Nigeria catalogue.
Kava promises fresh Nollywood titles every week, often exclusive premieres that land here after their cinema run. That steady drip is the core pitch against rivals like Prime Video, which spreads its Nigerian releases more thinly. To catch premieres locked to the home market, route ExpressVPN through a server in Nigeria before you browse.
No. The Kava apps on iOS, Android, and smart TVs work normally with a VPN active; you simply see the catalogue tied to the server location you pick. A ExpressVPN connection to Lagos loads the in‑country library, while a server elsewhere shows the diaspora cut. Pick a fast nearby server to avoid buffering, and downloads still work for offline trips.
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