Why Netflix is Offering a Free Plan in Kenya

Global streaming giant, Netflix, has disclosed on Monday that it will be launching a free mobile plan in Kenya. A move to tap the East African nation’s customer base of over 20 million internet users.

According to Reuters, the company is making nearly one-quarter of its movie and television shows collection available to customers in Kenya for free. 

While this is not the first time Netflix will be launching into a new market and offering its service at virtually zero cost, there’s a distinct strategy at play here. 

Director of Product Innovation at Netflix, Cathay Conk wrote, “If you’ve never watched Netflix before — and many people in Kenya haven’t — this is a great way to experience our service.”

“And if you like what you see, it’s easy to upgrade to one of our paid plans so you can enjoy our full catalogue on your TV or laptop as well”, she added

Netflix said the free plan will be available to everyone in Kenya in the coming weeks and will not require users to provide any financial information during the sign-up process. According to the company, the new plan is available to anyone over the age of 18 who owns an Android phone. It will also be free of advertisements.

Netflix executives have stated on previous marketing strategies that they study each region, looking for ways to make their service more appealing to everyone. The fact that people in Kenya can signup without a credit card is proof of this claim.

In a way, Netflix wants to encourage people in Kenya to move towards obtaining debit cards required to upgrade their free plans. A strategy whose repeated use echoes its effectiveness and shines more light on the horizon for financial inclusion in Kenya. 

READ ALSO: 54gene Makes Strategic Moves Following its $25M Series B Funding Round