OpenAI is expanding its footprint across Africa with the launch of ChatGPT Go, a new subscription tier designed to make advanced AI tools more affordable and accessible. For the first time, South African users can pay in rands, removing exchange-rate uncertainty and simplifying access to premium services.
Powered by GPT-5, ChatGPT Go offers most of the premium features found in higher-tier plans at a significantly reduced price of R149/month, approximately 75% less than the next-highest tier, ChatGPT Plus.
Nick Turley, Vice President and Head of ChatGPT, said:
Millions of people across Africa are already using ChatGPT to learn new skills, solve everyday problems, and start businesses. With ChatGPT Go, we want to make cutting-edge AI affordable and accessible, so everyone can benefit from it.
What ChatGPT Go Offers
Compared to the free tier, ChatGPT Go subscribers receive:
- 10x higher message limits with GPT-5
- 10x more image generations per day
- 10x more file or image uploads per day
- 2x longer memory for more personalized conversations
- Access to image generation, file uploads, and advanced data analysis
These features closely mirror those of the ChatGPT Plus tier, which is priced at R399/month.
Available Across Africa
ChatGPT Go is now available in all 54 African countries, following its successful rollout in India, where paid subscriptions reportedly doubled within a month. The plan is also live in 89 countries, including regions in the Middle East, Central Asia, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
South African Pricing Tiers
OpenAI has introduced rand-based pricing for South African users, structured as follows:
- Free Tier: Basic access to ChatGPT.
- Price: R0/month
- Go Tier: Includes GPT-5 access, extended image generation, file uploads, advanced data analysis, and longer memory.
- Price: R149/month
- Plus Tier: Includes all Go features, plus higher limits on GPT-5 usage, voice mode with video and screen-sharing, access to ChatGPT agents, custom GPTs, limited access to Sora video generation, and a research preview of the Codex agent.
- Price: R399/month
- Pro Tier: Includes everything in Plus, with unlimited GPT-5 access, GPT-5 Pro for more complex queries, extended voice and video capabilities, and full access to ChatGPT agents and Sora.
- Price: R3,999.99/month
The Plus and Pro tiers are priced higher than their U.S. equivalents ($20 and $200/month), likely due to VAT inclusion at South Africa’s standard rate of 15%.
