Microsoft has announced that South African customers who buy a new Windows 7-operating PC before February 2013, will not have to fork out full price to upgrade to the upcoming Windows 8.

The Redmond-based software giant has launched a Windows Upgrade Offer, which will allow qualifying buyers the option to purchase a downloadable upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for around R125 (estimated value in Rand only, final price will be the equivalent of $14.99). Users will be able to redeem this upgrade when Windows 8 becomes generally available later this year.

This offer is available for consumers buying new Windows 7 PCs that come preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate, and include a matching and valid OEM certificate of authenticity. A users must purchase a new Windows 7-based PC during the eligibility period between 2 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 and then redeem this offer before the program expires at the end of February 2013.

Consumers who register for the Windows Upgrade Offer will be able to download Windows 8 as of the day it’s made generally available. The upgrade can be installed on any eligible and compatible Windows PC and comes with 90 days of support from Microsoft.

“We’ve seen a great interest in Windows 8, especially given the availability of the Windows 8 Release Preview this week, and yet we know many consumers want a new PC now,” the company said in a statement.

“The Windows Upgrade Offer gives you the flexibility to purchase the new Windows PC you need today, with the knowledge that you can easily upgrade to Windows 8 when it’s available.”

In related news, Redmond also recently revealed that not all versions of Windows 8 will accommodate DVD playback as part of the new desktop and tablet operating system (OS). Instead, this feature will be limited to the Media Centre version of the OS.