Why Netflix hiked its prices in Nigeria for the third time since 2024

We examine Netflix Nigeria’s third subscription fee bump in fourteen months and the increasing digital censorship that threatens creators across East Africa.

Hello there,

This week, we’re tracking the quiet signals behind big headlines, especially the unintended consequences they leave in their wake.

In today’s Digest, we discuss

• Another way to think about Netflix’s price hike in Nigeria

• East Africa’s growing hostility toward digital freedom

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Center Spread 🗞️

Netflix’s price hikes in Nigeria and its deeper struggles

Netflix’s global price hike spree has reached Nigeria. The American streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) platform has raised prices across all its subscription tiers, with the Premium plan increasing by over 20%.

The move was not unexpected, as the company raised prices in South Africa last month and had already done so in five other major markets in 2025: the United States, Canada, Argentina, Portugal, and South Korea.

Earlier this year, during its earnings call, Netflix executives had signalled that the streamer would make adjustments as part of a broader strategy to recalibrate subscription fees across regions. The company’s goal was to accelerate revenue and earnings growth while expanding its funding of a broader range of content offerings.

However, in Nigeria, this marks the third price hike in less than 14 months, following previous increases in April and July 2024. None of the other affected countries has seen as many hikes within the same period; even in South Africa, this is the second increase since 2016.

Netflix appears to be aggressively trying to balance its books, and signs suggest Nigeria may not be delivering the returns the company hoped for. The streamer has been scaling back its local operations, despite early enthusiasm. Since entering the market in 2016, Netflix has invested over $23.6 million and licensed 283 Nigerian titles.

Observers have long debated whether Netflix would double down on Nigeria or retreat in the face of market pressure. Judging by recent developments, the latter seems more likely.

The latest hike comes at a time of deepening economic hardship in Nigeria, marked by two years of high inflation. Multichoice, telecom providers, and other digital platforms have also raised their prices in response to economic strain and currency depreciation. For many Nigerians, it’s yet another hit to already stretched wallets.

Online freedom in East Africa is under siege, and creators are paying the price

Freedom of expression in East Africa is increasingly under threat. In Kenya, two proposed pieces of legislation targeting financial and digital privacy, as well as internet use, have drawn sharp criticism for enabling mass surveillance and endangering digital rights. Civil society actors warn that these bills, framed as efforts to bolster security and transparency, could criminalise dissent, expand state surveillance powers, and further erode the already fragile digital space relied upon by creators, activists, and independent journalists.

Across the border in Tanzania, the situation is equally troubling. The government has officially blocked access to X (formerly Twitter), citing the platform’s tolerance of LGBTQ+ and pornographic content as a violation of national laws and “cultural values.”

For East African creators, these shifts are not just abstract policy debates; they have tangible consequences. Platforms like X, YouTube, and TikTok are not merely creative outlets; they are economic engines. As of 2022, Kenya led the continent in YouTube content creation, with over 400 channels boasting at least 100,000 subscribers.

When governments restrict access, criminalise expression, or demand allegiance to official narratives, they do more than shrink civic space. They stifle creative economies and silence cultural dialogue.

Ironically, this clampdown is unfolding even as the same governments claim to champion the creative sector. In late 2024, Kenyan legislators proposed a bill to establish a framework for growing the country’s creative economy. The contradiction couldn’t be more stark.

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Crunch Time 📈

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Catch Up 📬

What it takes to build an African Cinematic Universe

Last week, we highlighted a company with ambitious plans to create a Marvel-style cinematic universe centered on African characters and stories. In this week’s essay, we picked up the thread and examined what it takes to pull off something of this scale.

Yes, African filmmakers can (and should) build cinematic universes to rival Hollywood’s. But it’ll take more than ambition or simply pointing out what’s missing.

Read Communiqué 73 to find out what is required.

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Curiosity Cabinet 🗄️

• Martin van Staden argues that the South African government is ignoring the real support platforms like Google and Meta provide to local news media.

• In Kenya, video podcasts outperform regular media uploads seven times.

• This startup founder believes he can turn African cuisine and culture into a global staple. (Pair this with Communiqué 40 on how to think about exporting cultural artifacts like food.)

• The Economist traces Afrobeats’ origins, global cultural influence, and why African artists aren’t reaping the full rewards of their success.

• Muyiwa “Donawon” Awoniyi on how he helped shape Tems and Omah Lay’s ascent in the Afrobeat scene.

• A new space for African photography and storytelling, the Yaoundé PhotoFest, kicks off next week, on June 12, at the National Museum in Cameroon.

• See what else is happening across the continent via Communiqué’s African Creative Economy Database.