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 eSIM providers offer a mix of both unlimited and fixed-data packages for South Africa depending on your trip duration and data needs. These packages are offered in a variety of ‘flavours’ – from 1 to 3 to 7 to 10 to 30 days duration.
As far as we can see the Maya Mobile eSIM offers the most bang for your buck from $1.67 per day (depending on the duration selected).
Most Affordable eSIM:
Maya offers four one-time packages, all covering 165+ countries with unlimited data: 3-day at USD $9.99 ($3.33 per day), 7-day at USD $19.99 ($2.86 per day), 14-day at USD $27.99 ($2.00 per day), and 30-day at USD $49.99 ($1.67 per day). All plans include hotspot, 5G where available, and zero throttling.
eSIM Pricing Comparisons:
Provider |
Data Allowance |
Validity Period |
Price (USD) |
Local Network / Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holafly | Unlimited Data | 1 Day (Custom options available) | From $9.50 | Includes 1GB monthly backup data |
| Airalo | Unlimited Data | 3 Days | $20.50 | Uses Vodacom / Cell C networks |
| Airalo | Unlimited Data | 7 Days | $39.50 | High-speed local access |
| Airalo | Unlimited Data | 30 Days | $99.00 | Best for heavy internet users |
Maya Mobile |
Unlimited Data | Daily Multi-Country Plan | From $1.67 / Day | Uncapped global travel option |
| Ubigi | Unlimited Data | 7 Days | $35.00 | Speed drops after initial threshold |
| Ubigi | Fixed 1 GB | 30 Days | $5.00 | Budget light-use alternative |
| Ubigi | Fixed 10 GB | 7 Days | $18.00 | Cost-effective short-term data |
| Ubigi | Fixed 10 GB | 30 Days | $20.00 | Uses high-speed MTN 5G |
Disclosure: The Maya Mobile eSIM is a product selected by the MyGQ Tourism Hub as a valuable product for tourists visiting Africa. MyGQ receives a commission on every sale which is NOT added to the displayed prices.
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More Info on Need an eSIM for Roaming? Solved: Compare these Choices for South Africa and Africa here:
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Alan Straton
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