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Roaming in South Africa: Costs, plans, and alternatives
Roaming in South Africa can be costly. Compare roaming costs and see how to stay connected abroad for less with an unlimited data Holafly eSIM.
Travelling from the UK to South Africa? International roaming can cost up to £7.86 per day with a roaming pass, or up to £7.20 for a single MB.
That said, you need to explore whether roaming in South Africa is worth it, or you can use other options like a travel eSIM.
This guide explores all the South Africa roaming pricing and other options to help you save money while travelling.
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Roaming costs in South Africa
Using roaming in South Africa ranges from £5 to £7.86 when it comes to roaming passes. Pay-per-use rates are different, with data roaming costing up to £7.20/MB.
This depends on your local mobile provider, so let’s explore their different roaming options.
Roaming costs in South Africa with EE
EE roaming in South Africa is available with pay-monthly and pay-as-you-go plans, with some plans including free roaming.
| Type of plan | What’s included |
|---|---|
| Pay Monthly | Plans without inclusive roaming can use 24-hour or 7-day roaming passes, which cost £5 to 25 to unlock your local allowance Roaming Inclusive Extra and Max Plan include built-in roaming |
| Pay-as-you-go | £1.80/minute, 0.60p/text Data is available through roaming passes |
Roaming costs in South Africa with O2
O2 offers roaming in South Africa with pay monthly and pay-as-you-go plans.
Travellers with an Ultimate Plan can enjoy free roaming thanks to the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate Bolt On.
Here are the rates for other pay monthly and pay-as-you-go plans:
| Type of plan | What’s included |
|---|---|
| Pay Monthly | £7/day with unlimited data, texts, and calls with the O2 Travel Bolt On Without the O2 Travel Bolt On: £3/minute, £1/text, and £9 to £29 GB for a data bundle |
| Pay-as-you-go | £2/minute, 0.50p/text, £7.20/MB |
Roaming costs in South Africa with Three
Three offers roaming in South Africa with pay monthly and pay-as-you-go plans.
However, there are some details to consider based on when you purchased your plan.
- If you joined or upgraded before June 22 to a Value or Complete plan, you get up to 56 days of free roaming in South Africa.
- If you joined after June 22, Go Roam is built into your plan, and you can use roaming for free without limitations.
| Type of plan | What’s included |
|---|---|
| Pay Monthly | ££7/day to unlock your texts, calls, and up to 12 GB on Advanced, Lite, and eligible Value and Complete plans Get a Go Roam Around the World Extra Pass for £17.50 to £49 to unlock your allowance for up to 14 days |
| Pay-as-you-go | £1.40/minute, 0.35p/text, £3/MB |
Roaming costs in South Africa with Vodafone UK
Vodafone UK offers roaming through pay monthly, pay-as-you-go, and pay-as-you-go plus plans, but has a similar structure to Three.
If you bought your plan before or after 11 August 2021 and have an eligible plan, you get up to 25 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. If not, you’ll be subjected to roaming passes.
Here’s how much Vodafone roaming in South Africa costs:
| Type of plan | What’s included |
|---|---|
| Pay Monthly | From £6 to £7.86, depending on when you joined Vodafone UK |
| Pay-as-you-go | 0.60/minute, 0.08p/text, 0.12p/MB |
| Pay-as-you-go plus | £12.75 to £28.75 with up to 4 GB, 200 minutes, and texts |
Get unlimited data for less in South Africa with Holafly
If you’re not on a free roaming plan or subject to pay-as-you-go rates, using an eSIM is a better alternative to stay connected in South Africa.
With the Holafly eSIM for South Africa, you get unlimited data, up to 500 MB of hotspot data per day, and you can use your plan for up to 90 days.
Pricing starts at £8/day, but it can cost as little as £2.72 depending on how long you stay, as it gets cheaper every day you use it.
Plus, you’ll get data as soon as you land and access 24/7 customer support without worrying about extra roaming charges.
Avoid excessive roaming fees
Don't get caught out by data roaming charges in South Africa. Use local networks at local rates.
How to avoid roaming charges in South Africa
Using roaming in South Africa can easily cost £78 for a 10-day trip, but you can save money with these tips:
- Get an eSIM: An eSIM for a 10-day trip costs barely half of what you’d spend on roaming, as it costs £38 for 10 days, and it includes unlimited data.
- Use a SIM card: If you have a SIM-only phone, a South Africa SIM card is an alternative to roaming. Plans range from R35 to R699 (~£1.51 to £30.09) for 30-day plans with up to 15 GB, 400 minutes, and texts.
- Rent a pocket WiFi: A pocket WiFi for South Africa is a great alternative for larger groups, but a single day can cost £12.69 without including delivery fees. Using Holafly Plans is an alternative to renting, as it costs ~£48/month, and you get unlimited data, unlimited hotspot data, coverage in 170 destinations, and 24/7 customer support.
- Use airplane mode: If your phone is carrier-locked and you have to rely on roaming only, keep it in airplane mode. That way, you’ll only use data when necessary.
- Connect to free WiFi: Connecting to a free WiFi network is a good option to save money, but it’s not the safest when travelling. Use it only when necessary and avoid free networks for personal or work purposes.
South Africa roaming vs. eSIM for South Africa
Using your phone abroad with roaming can be expensive, especially on pay-as-you-go plans or plans without free roaming.
Even if you use roaming passes, you can be limited depending on your carrier.
That said, using an eSIM for South Africa gives you more freedom in terms of how much data you get, how long you can use it, and it gets cheaper the more you use it.
Or if you need more data or travelling with more people, using Holafly Plans is a good option, as you get unlimited data and unlimited hotspot data, which you also use in other destinations for ~£48/month.
Unlimited data. Peace of mind.
Make sure you have travel data that's there when you need it most.
Visiting other countries and wondering how roaming works there? Learn all about the available roaming options and alternatives on these destinations:
Plans that may interest you
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.
