Best pocket WiFi in South Africa

South Africa attracts visitors for endless number of reasons. Whether taking part in a group safari tour or making the most of Cape Town’s connections to work remotely, having a strong internet connection while in South Africa is a top priority for many.

A pocket WiFi is one way to keep multiple devices, or people, connected during your trip. But are they worth it? And if so, which one should you get?

We’ve prepared a guide with the best pocket WiFi devices in South Africa, where you’ll find information about delivery, data plans, pricing, and other important features. Plus, we’ll present an eSIM alternative that makes connectivity much easier as there’s no renting or purchase process to complete.

What is a pocket WiFi?

A pocket WiFi is a portable device that, based on your service provider, gives you access to up to 5G data with a reliable internet connection while you have a password-protected network. 

With these, you can connect up to five devices, including phones, laptops, and tablets, helping you avoid roaming in South Africa.

Sounds great on the surface. But there are plenty of things to consider, including pricing, insurance, delivery fees, and other details, which can make your travels needlessly complicated.

How much does pocket WiFi in South Africa cost?

Depending on which service provider you choose, a portable WiFi router in South Africa can cost more than $100 per week, but this might vary when including delivery fees and add-ons.

Here’s a quick look overview of the pricing, data packages, and additional fees for the most popular pocket WiFi providers in South Africa.

4 Top pocket WiFi providers in South Africa

To help you choose which pocket WiFi to use in South Africa, we’ve chosen the top four providers: Travelers WiFi, MioWiFi, Solis Pocket Wi-Fi, and My Webspot. We’ll discuss each one in detail.

Travelers WiFi

Our first option is Travelers WiFi, a Swiss-based company that offers worldwide delivery. This makes it a great company for European travelers.

Here are the details you need to know about Travelers WiFi and their devices:

• How to rent: Visit the Travelers WiFi site and choose the “Global” option. Then, choose your data plan from 1 GB to 3 GB per day based on your travel budget. Pricing will range from $7.40 to $28.77.
• How to collect: International delivery and pick-up at your hotel are available depending on your location, with the delivery pricing ranging from $5.80 to $32.
• How to use: Upon arriving in South Africa, check the password on your pocket WiFi and connect your device to its private network.
• How to pay: You can pay using PayPal, debit, and credit cards.

Advantages and disadvantages of Travelers WiFi

• Advantages:
  • Three 4G data plans with unlimited 3G
  • Add-ons like portable chargers for an additional price
  • Worldwide delivery, starting at three days after rental
• Disadvantages:
  • Losing or damaging a device costs 150 CHF (~$165)
  • Limited to 3G speed with unlimited data at 512kbps
  • Delivery prices change depending on the destination

MioWiFi

For Latin America-based travelers, MioWiFi is an option that offers unlimited data connectivity in over 150 destinations.

Here are the details about the pocket WiFi service from MioWiFi:

• How to rent: Choose your travel location and dates on the MioWiFi homepage. Data plans for South Africa start at $8/day with unlimited 4G data.
• How to collect: International delivery is available, but you need to check if your address is eligible for shipping. For Latin America, Asia, and North America, delivery costs $30 with DHL, while in Europe, pricing ranges from €10 to €17 (~$10.35 to $17.60)
• How to use: Upon arrival, connect to your pocket WiFi network using the password on your device, and you’re all set.
• How to pay: Depending on your location, you can pay using debit, credit cards, PayPal, and Google Pay.

Advantages and disadvantages of MioWiFi

• Advantages:
  • Up to five devices connected to a pocket WiFi
  • Express delivery in selected regions, like Europe
  • Unlimited 4G data
• Disadvantages:
  • Limited delivery for certain countries
  • Delivery time for Latin America, Asia, and Africa is not established
  • Losing or damaging a pocket WiFi costs $190

Solis Pocket WiFi 

Another option for digital nomads and year-round travelers is Solis Pocket WiFi, a company that allows you to purchase your own pocket WiFi.

Here are the details when purchasing a Solis Pocket WiFi:

• How to purchase: You can purchase a Solis Lite Hotspot or a Solis 5G Hotspot with a power bank for $119 to $299, without including data packages starting at $8 per day.
• How to collect: International delivery is available, with free shipping within the US and $30 to $40 for worldwide destinations.
• How to use: After purchasing your device, choose any of the data plans, which range from $8/day to $99/month, and enjoy up to 5G connectivity.
• How to pay: If you’re a US customer, you can pay in installments using Shop Pay, or you can use Google Pay, credit, debit cards, or PayPal in other destinations.

Advantages and disadvantages of Solis Pocket WiFi

• Advantages:
  • Up to 5G connectivity on selected destinations
  • Multiple data plans, including daily and monthly options
  • Available for use in 135 destinations 
• Disadvantages:
  • Pricing doesn’t include taxes and delivery fees
  • Quite expensive if you’re not a digital nomad/constant traveler
  • 5G is only available on the most expensive device

My Webspot

Our last option is My Webspot, which offers rented pocket WiFi devices for European and US travelers.

Here’s what you need to know about the My Webspot service

• How to rent: Go to the My Webspote site, choose “Single country” and “South Africa” as your destination, and add your travel dates to check the rent price.
• How to collect: Delivery is only available within Europe and the United States. Depending on your location, delivery can cost up to $30, plus another $20 to $25 for the return envelope. 
• How to use: Upon arrival, simply connect to the private network using your pocket WiFi password on your preferred device.
• How to pay: You can pay using credit, debit cards, PayPal, and Stripe.

Advantages and disadvantages of My Webspot

• Advantages:
  • Available insurance to avoid extra charges in case of losing or damaging a device
  • Express deliver using DHL on most destinations
• Disadvantages:
  • No information about how much data the pocket WiFi includes
  • Daily price to use a pocket WiFi in South Africa is roughly $13.56/day for a whole week
  • €180 (~$186) penalty for losing or damaging a pocket WiFi

An easier option: eSIMs for South Africa with unlimited data 

Thankfully, for your wallet, at least, pocket WiFi isn’t the only way to get online in South Africa. eSIMs for South Africa are a modern, reliable way to stay connected – and without the hassle of switching SIMs or airport pickups required by more traditional South Africa SIM cards.

There are different South Africa eSIMs on the market, each providing unique features and benefits targeted at different types of travelers. With the South Africa eSIM from Holafly, data plans start at $9.90 for unlimited high speed data with up to 5G connectivity.

Also, it includes 500 MB of data sharing per day, meaning you can stay connected in more than one device when needed.

There are some additional features when using the Holafly eSIM; here they are:

• 24/7 customer support through different channels
• $3.41/day plans for long-term travelers
• Website available in 19 languages
• Mobile app to manage and purchase eSIM plans
• Easy activation with a QR code on Android and older iOS devices
• Automatic activation with the Holafly app in iOS 17 or higher devices

What’s the best way to stay connected in South Africa?

It’s fair to say that using a pocket WiFi in South Africa is extremely expensive. You also have to go through the longwinded rental or purchasing process, with delivery times depending on your chosen pocket WiFi provider.

Also, with the damage and loss fees, you need to be extra cautious about what happens to your portable WiFi in South Africa. Otherwise, you can easily pay over $300 for a week of usage.

eSIMs are a simpler option. You don’t need to wait for it to be delivered and you can use it for as long as you need without needing to return it. There are no extra fees, and you only need an eSIM-compatible phone.

Also, compared to a pocket WiFi, eSIM pricing gets lower the more days you purchase, making it a more reliable option compared to other connectivity options.

Connectivity made easy

Activate your South African eSIM in a few simple steps and manage your plan through our dedicated app.

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Julio Osuna

English Content Writer

I first started my content creation journey as a freelancer in 2019, before connecting with Holafly in 2021. At Holafly, my travel and tech interests come together in one place as I craft high-quality articles about the eSIM and related markets. My content aims to help travelers stay connected, wherever they are.

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