There are many advantages to the phenomenon of online purchasing. Not least of all the fuss-free joys of buying any manner of personal entertainment. Books for your Kindle from Amazon, MP3’s for your iPod (at the iPod online store, no less) and movies for your PC from Netflix inc.

It has gotten to a point where no form of online distraction is so far that it can’t be booked and/or purchased online. As exciting as all of this may be, it does not bode well for the old-school video (and later DVD) rental companies like America’s “Blockbuster Video”, who filed for Bankruptcy Protection in 2010. A similar company to the old “Dial-a-Movie” here in South Africa, the shift to DVD rental does not seem to have rescued this sinking ship. Blockbuster is the largest and most prolific movie rental company in the world (Over 7000 stores).

Netflix inc. (one of several online “downloadable movie” stores) just offers too many advantages over the old brick and mortar shop-front of Blockbusters. Netflix does not “run out” of a particular film. There is no issue with “returning” the film afterwards and its database is huge. This means that you don’t have to go and find some obscure little specialised video store to rent The Big Sleep or Casablanca.

South Africa may have a few years to go, but there is no doubt that the same thing that happened in the US will almost certainly happen here. Although SA has proven to be a bit behind on international trends, we are vastly underestimated when it comes to picking up on digital advances. And I’m talking about massive scales here. For example, Internet banking needed a bit of a push in the beginning but the phrase “EFT” is now well known and used in this country. Consider the fact that the United States is still (largely) making use of cheques. I don’t think I’ve actually seen a cheque in about 6 years.

My point here is simple. Movie distributors and front-end shop owners should consider the inevitable and get in on the ground floor. Online movie purchase & download websites for South Africans, by South Africans. The tide is coming people, I can see it cresting in the distance.         

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