Prepaid SIM / eSIM South Africa: how to buy a 4G data SIM?
Roaming fees
How lucky to be planning a trip to South Africa, a chance to visit the incredible Kruger Park!
It’ll be really handy to have internet on your smartphone while you’re there, if only for GPS in the car. Unfortunately, unless you’re with Free Mobile, roaming costs a fortune, as shown in the table below.
| Carrier | Rate |
|---|---|
| Free Mobile | Included in the €20 plan |
| Orange | €13.31/MB |
| SFR | €13.20 / MB |
| Bouygues Telecom | €10.24 / MB |
It’s definitely not a good idea to use your French plan in South Africa!
Buy a SIM card before you leave
The simplest solution is to get a prepaid SIM card before you leave. You’ll receive a SIM in your mailbox that will work in South Africa with no nasty surprises on your bill at the end of the trip.
With Holafly
Holafly is a company that offers this type of service.
Check out Holafly’s South Africa deals (+ use a PROMO CODE)
Holafly has a unique offer in South Africa: a SIM card with 6 GB of data, valid 15 days, for €47.
On Amazon
Sometimes you can find 4G SIM deals on Amazon, but not at the moment.
Buy an eSIM valid in South Africa
If you prefer and your phone supports it, you can go for the eSIM format. Holafly also offers this (read our review of their eSIM).
Check out Holafly’s eSIMs for South Africa. Feel free to use the promo code NOMADBENTO
The offer is exactly the same as the regular SIM: €47 for 6 GB of data valid 15 days.
Buying a 4G SIM at the airport
At Johannesburg airport, it’ll be very easy to buy a SIM card at any of the following shops:
- Cell C
- MTN
- Vodacom
Here are Cell C’s rates
Vodacom’s rates
And MTN’s rates
Buying a SIM card in town
If you’re short on time, you can always buy a SIM card in town, but unlike many countries, airport prices don’t seem significantly more expensive.