South Africa is a vast country and fortunately staying connected back in India with a local SIM is easy and inexpensive. Internet connectivity and network coverage are good in the main cities, but can take a hit as you move towards the remote areas. South Africa has some good prepaid plans (most of them are pay as you) to reduce your bills.
Documents Required
To obtain a SIM card in South Africa you must produce your passport and your hotel address. The activation process takes a few minutes.
Availability
Local prepaid SIM cards can be obtained from approved resellers. Official stores/kiosks of all the main cellphone carriers are available at all pf South Africa’s international airports. Credits/refills can be found at the same retailers, corner stores, most supermarkets or service stations.
Cell Phone Carriers in South Africa
There are four main cell phone carriers in South Africa: MTN, Telkom, Cell C, and Vodacom. Alongside these, there are a few other resellers operating as MVNOs.
MVNOs in South Africa
Resellers operating as MVNOs in South Africa are:
- FNB Connect
- Lycamobile
- Virgin Mobile
- MRP Mobile
- Hello Mobile
- Me&you Mobile
- Boksel
- Afrihost Mobile
- PSB Network
- The Unlimited
- SmartMobile
Best Packages For Indians Traveling to South Africa
Network | Vodacom | MTN | Cell C | Telkom |
Name of the Product | Red More Data 10 GB | MTN Pay Per Second | Cell C Ultra Bonus prepaid | Telkom More Prepaid |
Price | R1049 | – | – | – |
Incoming | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Outgoing Local | 150 minutes | 99c | R1.74 | R1.90/minute |
Outgoing India | R7.69/minute | R1.4 | R1.51 | R0.58/minute |
SMS local | 25 SMS | 50c | 50c | 50c |
SMS India | R1.74 | R1.6 | R1.74 | R1.50 |
Data | 10 GB | R0.99/MB | R1.75/MB | 30c/MB |
Validity | One month | – | – | – |
Notable Info | SIM card costs R0.99 Value added services @ R1.28 | To join MTN Pay Per Second,
dial *136*4*4# | ULTRABONUS offers customers triple the value on every recharge every time! All new customers activating a Cell C prepaid SIM will be activated on ULTRABONUS by default | Prepaid customers automatically
default to Telkom More Voice and data bundles @ *180# |
South Africa Tourist SIM in India
Though local SIMs in South Africa are easily available, call rates to India can be quite high. To buy a SIM in India itself that has great deals to call India, click on the product below.