Content & Catalog
What to watch on Viu?
Content TypesMovies · Series · Documentaries · Originals · Offline
Subscription VODWorks with VPNUpdated October 5, 2026
Reviewed by Anna Venclikova · 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 Viu outside South Africa: VPN Guide 2026
Skeem Saam, Uzalo, Generations and 7de Laan sit next to Korean dramas dubbed into isiZulu: that mix is the South African edition of a service run by Hong Kong’s PCCW group. Try to watch Viu outside South Africa, though, and the site checks your IP address; outside Viu’s markets it sends you to a page that reads “This service is not available in your country yet.” Viu operates in 25 markets across Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa. The US is not one of them, and you won’t find the app in the US App Store either.
The fix is a VPN with a server in South Africa. We recommend ExpressVPN: it changes your virtual location, so Viu South Africa opens with your shows anywhere in the world, just like at home in Johannesburg or Durban. The free tier streams with ads in up to 720p, while Premium drops the ads, goes up to 1080p and adds downloads of selected titles. Premium is billed separately from the VPN.
Free
Price
1
Country
1080p
Max quality
4 of 7
VPNs work
2-3 min
Ready in
Quick answer
Can you watch Viu outside South Africa?
Not directly. The US isn’t one of the 25 markets where Viu operates, and outside its markets the site shows only a notice that the service isn’t available in your country. Connect ExpressVPN to a server in South Africa and you get a South African IP address, which loads Viu South Africa with Skeem Saam, Uzalo and Generations. The free tier runs with ads; Premium, billed separately, removes them and streams in 1080p.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for Viu
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | Viu | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 ExpressVPNBEST | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Try it |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | October 5 | Open |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 1 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | October 2 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | October 5 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | October 2 | Open |
✓ WorksTested October 3
✓ WorksTested October 5
✓ WorksTested October 3
✓ WorksTested October 1
~ PartialTested October 2
~ PartialTested October 5
~ PartialTested October 2
Tested on October 5, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 4 working · residential IP from South Africa · Viu 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 Viu with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Get a VPN with South African serversWe recommend ExpressVPN, which runs fast servers in South Africa, with plans from $2.79 per month. The VPN is its own subscription, and Viu Premium is paid separately.Install the VPN on the same laptop, phone or tablet you plan to watch on.
- Connect to a server in South AfricaOpen the VPN app, pick South Africa and connect. From then on you browse with a South African IP address, and Viu greets you with its South African home page instead of the unavailable notice.
- Open Viu South AfricaGo to viu.com/ott/za/en in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. The free tier of Viu plays without registration. For Premium, sign up with a mobile number, email, Facebook, Google or Apple ID.
- Switch to Premium for a sharper pictureThe free, ad-supported tier plays in up to 720p. Premium removes the ads, streams in up to 1080p, adds offline downloads of selected titles and opens up Viu Originals such as uBettina Wethu.
Ready to watch Viu without borders?
ExpressVPN: risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee
Availability
Which countries is Viu available in?
Viu streams in full in South Africa, and part of its catalogue plays in 22 more countries. For the titles that stay locked, use a premium VPN.
Available in 1 country No VPN needed
Partially available in 22 countries VPN required
Show all 10 more countries
Viu also works in Australia, in New Zealand, in Algeria, in Bahrain and in Egypt, plus in 17 more countries, but with limited content compared to fully available countries. ExpressVPN unlocks full access.
Blocked in 171 countries VPN required
Show all 159 more countries
AndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana
British Virgin Islands
BruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCongo (DRC)Costa RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIranIsraelItalyJamaicaKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamZambiaZimbabweViu is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Canada, in Ireland and in Germany, plus in 166 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
Available
Partial
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: September 27, 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 Viu Cost?
Most Popular
Free
Free
/month
- With ads
- No offline downloads
Viu Premium Monthly
≈ $4.24
/month
Approximate price · billed in ZAR
- Up to 1080p
- Ad-free
- Offline downloads
Viu Premium Yearly
≈ $39.94
/year
Approximate price · billed in ZAR
- Up to 1080p
- Ad-free
- Offline downloads
Ready to subscribe to Viu?
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 Viu
Viu is a streaming service from Hong Kong’s PCCW group, active in 25 markets across Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa. South Africa gets its own version, Viu South Africa, with a catalog of its own. Expect homegrown favorites like Skeem Saam, Uzalo, Generations and 7de Laan, K-dramas such as Taxi Driver and Descendants of the Sun, Turkish telenovelas, Hollywood movies and short vertical micro-dramas. The free tier is ad-supported, needs no sign-up and streams in up to 720p. Premium drops the ads and adds Full HD, downloads of selected titles and Viu Originals, with monthly or yearly plans plus daily passes paid with South African mobile credit. You sign up for Premium with a phone number, email, Google, Facebook or Apple ID. Shows are available dubbed into isiZulu and Afrikaans, and most titles carry English subtitles. Watch on the web, on iPhone, iPad, Android, Huawei devices or smart TVs. Outside Viu’s markets, the website shows only an unavailable notice, and the US App Store lacks the app. A South African VPN server opens Viu South Africa with Skeem Saam, Uzalo and Generations.
Company and history
Major changes
- The service officially launches in South Africa with shows from local broadcasters e.tv and SABC, and signs mobile operator Vodacom as its partner.
- PCCW and CANAL+ close a strategic partnership. CANAL+ takes a 26.1% stake in the service and becomes its strategic investor.
- Korean dramas dubbed into isiZulu arrive in South Africa. The first title is Iqhawe Labafundi, a K-drama viewers can now follow in isiZulu.
- The service launches Viu Shorts, a format of short vertical micro-dramas made for watching in portrait mode on a phone.
- The service reaches 15.3 million paying subscribers worldwide, according to PCCW's interim results published on July 30, 2026.
Trust signals
Still can’t open Viu where you are?
Connect ExpressVPN, pick a supported country, and you’re streaming Viu in minutes, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
1080pHDRDolby VisionDolby Atmos
Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our Viu testing team · Updated September 27, 2026
- Outside Viu's markets, Viu just shows an unavailable notice, so we recommend ExpressVPN with a South African server to shift your virtual location and stream Viu South Africa like you're back home.
- Skip the free tier for big-screen viewing: it's capped at 720p with ads, while Premium drops the ads, goes up to 1080p and lets you download select titles.
- Catch K-dramas dubbed in isiZulu, starting with Iqhawe Labafundi, or pick shows in Afrikaans; most titles also carry English subtitles.
- On a Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Sony or Philips Android TV, don't fumble with the remote: link the TV with a code from your phone or the web.
- Beyond Skeem Saam, Uzalo and Generations, dig into Viu Originals like uBettina Wethu with Premium, and try Viu Shorts for bite-size vertical micro-dramas.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to Viu.
Viu checks your IP address. It operates in 25 markets across Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa, each with its own catalog and prices. The US isn’t on that list, and outside those markets the site redirects to a notice that the service isn’t available in your country. The South African catalog also exists only in the South African edition of Viu, so other markets don’t carry it either.
We recommend ExpressVPN connected to a server in South Africa. It changes your virtual location, so Viu treats you as a viewer in South Africa and opens the local catalog with Skeem Saam, Uzalo and Generations anywhere in the world. Setup takes a few minutes: install the app, pick South Africa and reload viu.com/ott/za/en. ExpressVPN also encrypts your login on hotel or airport Wi-Fi.
The basic tier is free with ads, needs no registration and plays in up to 720p. Monthly Premium costs ≈ $4.13/mo, while yearly Premium comes to ≈ $38.86 a year. Viu also sells daily, weekly, quarterly and six-month plans. Premium removes the ads, raises the picture to 1080p and adds downloads of selected titles plus Viu Originals.
You can pay for Viu Premium by card on the website, through the App Store, Google Play or Huawei. In South Africa there is also the option of paying with MTN or Vodacom airtime, and both carriers add video data to their plans, but that route needs a South African SIM. Airtime is also how you buy the daily plan, handy when you want Premium for a single evening.
The core lineup covers favorite soaps and dramas: Skeem Saam, Uzalo, Generations, 7de Laan and Muvhango, along with Indoni Yamanzi and Ubungani Nobuthi. uBettina Wethu represents Viu Originals, and K1 Entertainment News brings showbiz updates. Viu rounds it out with Turkish telenovelas, Hollywood movies and series, reality shows, documentaries and short vertical micro-dramas.
Yes. Viu offers programs dubbed into isiZulu and Afrikaans, with English subtitles on most titles. The dubbing reaches Korean content too, so K-dramas such as Taxi Driver, Dr. Romantic, True Beauty or Descendants of the Sun can be watched with English subtitles or in a dubbed version where the title has one. Running Man covers the Korean reality side.
On the web in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, in the iPhone and iPad app, on Android and through Huawei AppGallery. For smart TVs, the South African help center lists Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Sony and Philips sets with Android TV. You pair the TV with a code from your phone or the website. The app isn’t in the US App Store; it sits in the South African one.
It is run by PCCW OTT (Hong Kong) Limited, part of PCCW Media within Hong Kong-based PCCW Limited. The apps are published by Vuclip, which is the name you’ll see in app stores. CANAL+ has been a strategic investor since June 2023. Viu is an international service with its own South African edition rather than a local startup.
No. Viusasa is a Kenyan service from a different company, and Rakuten Viki is a separate Asian drama platform with no link to Viu. Don’t mix it up with Hong Kong broadcaster ViuTV either. If you’re after Skeem Saam, Uzalo or K-drama in isiZulu, the one you want is Viu South Africa at viu.com/ott/za/en, not a similarly named app.
Think of them as a pair rather than rivals. Hulu is a go-to in the US for American series, while Viu in South Africa focuses on Skeem Saam, Uzalo, Turkish telenovelas and K-drama dubbed into isiZulu. Keep Hulu for local shows, then connect ExpressVPN to a South African server when you want Viu South Africa.
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