We all know just how expensive an overseas roaming package can be – in the early days it was only call based and resulted in some clients having to literally ‘sell the farm’ in order to pay their bill after taking calls from Ma, Pa, Kinders en Die Baas.
With regards to data, if you do not buy a specific travel bundle and rely on default pay-as-you-use rates, you face a massive risk of “bill shock.”
Local Provider Examples:
- Vodacom offer a Standard Out-of-Bundle Rate: ~R0.75 to R5.00 per MB (which equates to an expensive R750 to R5,000 per GB) depending on the specific UK partner network you connect to.
- Vodacom also offer Travel Data Bundles: 1 GB (Valid 7 days): R99; 5 GB (Valid 7 days): R349; All-For-You Bundles (Data + Voice):1 GB + 100 Mins (Valid 7 days): R199; 5 GB + 200 Mins (Valid 7 days): R549
- MTN has standard out-of-bundle rates starting around R0.99 per MB (~R1,000 per GB) on preferred partner networks like Vodafone UK.
- MTN have recently introduced highly competitive international travel eSIM add-ons. The MTN Travel eSIM (Powered by KnowRoaming) lets you buy destination-specific data directly through your MTN profile before flying: 1 GB (Valid 7 days) for ~$4.10 USD (approx. R75). They offer larger custom bundles scaling up to 20GB.
MTN and Vodacom offer data-per-gigabyte eSIMs, but they require strict identity verification (RICA) under local laws.
The Savvy International Traveller will buy an eSIM with unlimited data before arriving in South Africa.
International…
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eSIM for Roaming Problem Solved