Telkom has partnered with Naspers’ streaming service ShowMax to zero-rate data used for the streaming service. The offer only applies to Telkom’s Summer Unlimited packages, but is applicable to both existing and new customers. Telkom is also giving customers that sign up for its SmartHome Premium or Smartplan 100 services a 30-day trial of the video streaming service if they sign up before the end of December 2015.

Given ShowMax offers a week trial by default and only costs R99/month this isn’t exactly the biggest carrot from the operator, but it’s pleasing to see it playing well with others nevertheless.

It also speaks to the biggest challenge faced by any streaming service in South Africa, whether it’s the newly launched Google Play Music, long-standing services like Simfy or rival video-streaming services like ONTAPtv.com: mobile data is still extremely costly and access to uncapped, fixed-line services (or equivalents, like Telkom’s uncapped LTE offerings) are uncommon outside of upper-middle-class suburbia.

ShowMax, which launched four months ago, offers over 20,000 episodes of local and international TV shows and a (fairly) wide range of film content from most of the major studios. It works on mobile devices, laptop and desktops, and some smart TVs. Even though the company is owned by Multichoice parent company Naspers it operates as a separate entity, and is arguably competition for it, at least for those who don’t care about sporting content.

Consumers can find out more about Telkom’s offers here, and can sign up for a free seven-day trial of ShowMax here.