Netflix on Monday launched a free mobile plan in Kenya to entice new subscribers. The new plan will bring forth about one-quarter of its TV shows and movies to users in the African nation, the company told Reuters.
The free plan will be rolled out to all users in Kenya in the coming weeks. The plan will be free for users aged above 18 years that means users don’t have to give any payment information during the sign-up. The free plan is available on Android mobile phones and will not have any advertisements.
The company said that the plan will features Netflix movies and TV shows such as Money Heist and Bridgerton and African series Blood & Water.
The company aims to get more subscribers using this plan and hopes to entice users to signup for the paid option after the free trial.
To attract customers in Africa, Netflix is investing in locally made programming such as Queen Sono and Jiva! and has partnered with production studios in Nigeria.
Cathy Conk, director of product innovation at Netflix, said in a blog post that “If you’ve never watched Netflix before — and many people in Kenya haven’t — this is a great way to experience our service.” The executive also added that “And if you like what you see, it’s easy to upgrade to one of our paid plans so you can enjoy our full catalog on your TV or laptop as well.”
The non-paying Netflix subscribers in Kenya will not be counted in the paid total the company reports each quarter, a spokesperson said.
The free plan in Kenya will look similar to paid Netflix profiles to give viewers a feel for the service, the spokesperson said. The app will mark the shows and movies that are not included in the free plan with a lock icon.
If users click on those movies and shows then they will be prompted to signup for the paid option. However, the free plan does not allow users to download a show or movie.
The company has said that all the users aged 18 or older in Kenya can use the free plan and create up to five profiles. The app will not ask these users for a payment information during the signup process.
The company has not clarified on the validity of the plan in Kenya and whether this plan will be offered in other markets as well.
Netflix, which streams in more than 190 countries, has taken other steps to boost usage in Africa.
The company has 209 million paid customers worldwide at the end of June. But the new users count dropped in the first half of 2021 after it witnessed a rapid increase in subscribers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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