Planning a trip to South Africa and looking to buy a tourist sim card? Get yourself a local prepaid sim card or an eSIM and avoid slow overseas data roaming plans or high roaming charges.
This is a complete guide with everything you need to know about buying a prepaid sim card in South Africa in 2025.
Find out where to buy a prepaid sim card, up to date prices as per January 2025, the best 4G/5G network, my recommendation, info about eSIMs for South Africa and more.
Nowadays I mostly get an eSIM when I travel abroad but buying a local prepaid sim card is also still a good option.
Looking for an eSIM then check out my comparison of the best South Africa eSIMs in 2025.
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card in South Africa?
- Where to buy a sim card for South Africa
- Mobile internet operators in South Africa
- Prices prepaid sim cards South Africa
- Best 4G/5G network in South Africa in 2025
- Best prepaid sim card for South Africa in 2025
- Best eSIMs for South Africa
- Order a prepaid sim card for South Africa online
- My experiences buying a sim card in South Africa
- Vlog about buying a prepaid sim card in South Africa
When flying to South Africa and want to buy a sim card at the airport then go directly to my guides about buying a sim card at Cape Town Airport or Johannesburg Airport.
Some links in this article about the best prepaid sim cards in South Africa are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don't worry this is at no extra cost to you.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends an MTN prepaid sim card for South Africa. They have affordable tourist sim cards and good 4G/5G mobile data network coverage. A sim card with 10 GB data will cost around $25 USD.
But if your phone is eSIM compatible then simply get an eSIM. Faster, more convenient and you are online as soon as the plane lands.
Traveltomtom recommends an eSIM from Airalo with 10 GB for $26 USD or an eSIM from Ubigi with 25 GB for $39 USD.
Check out my comparison of the best South Africa eSIMs in 2025 for more detailed info.
Another way of staying connected is an international travel sim card that works in multiple countries, sometimes a great alternative. Check out my list of the best international sim card to travel the world in 2025 and pick the one that suits your trip.
Why buying a sim card in South Africa?
Local prepaid sim cards in South Africa are cheap and you can find some great prepaid sim card deals for tourists in South Africa. Just visit a sim card shop with your passport and within a couple minutes you are connected.
Being connected when traveling has so many advantages. Think about ordering an Uber on the streets, find a cool nearby roof top bar or restaurant with good reviews or simply getting directions from Google Maps. There are so many reasons I can come up with for getting a local sim card.
On top of that it makes you not depend on WiFi. Because yes, the hotel offer free WiFi, Im sure. But that is no guarantee that it actually works or is fast enough. Also keep in mind that public WiFi is an UNSECURED network.
As Traveltomtom is on a journey to visit every country I get to a lot of places and airports and I like to document all my travel tips for fellow world travelers.
That is how on Traveltomtom you can find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Europe, UK, London, New York, Germany, Italy, Spain, USA, New York, Canada, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me!
When changing phone numbers and swapping sim cards has not your preference then have a look into so called portable WiFi devices. These pocket WiFi's are one of the best ways to stay connected while traveling. Click on the link to read my HONEST review about these little travel items.
Where to buy a sim card for South Africa
If you are looking to buy a local prepaid sim card your best bid is to get one straight away on arrival. All the international airports sell prepaid South Africa sim cards for tourists. eSIMs for South Africa you can only buy online.
Cape Town Airport
When flying to Cape Town international airport you have the option between MTN and Vodacom. Their shops are located next to each other on your right when you enter the arrival hall from either the international terminal or the domestic terminal.
Check out my complete guide for buying a sim card at Cape Town Airport in 2025.
RELATED: Ultimate Itinerary from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth - The Garden Route!
Johannesburg Airport
At Johannesburg Airport you have 1 extra option. When you walk out into the arrival hall you go to your right and you will find: MTN, Vodacom and Cell C all next to each other. They all sell prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Check here my guide for buying a sim card at Johannesburg Airport in 2025.
Shopping malls
In case you didn't get a chance to buy a sim card at the airport then there are numerous mobile phone stores scattered around the city center of every big city in South Africa. Convenient places are the bigger malls. If you travel overland to South Africa you can find kiosks at the border that sell sim cards for tourists.
If you are looking to buy a Rain data only sim card with unlimited data you can simply pick up a free Rain sim card at any Pargo store. Pargo is like the DHL/Fedex of South Africa. You will find them everywhere.
Online
Buying a sim card for South Africa on the internet is very convenient. You arrive prepared and you don't need to find a phone store in South Africa to get a prepaid sim card.
There are international physical sim cards for those that don't have an eSIM compatible phone. A physical sim card will be delivered to your home address before your trip to South Africa. For example the Orange international sim card with 10 GB data for $49.90 USD.
eSIMs are the easiest way to connect. Ordering and installing an eSIM for South Africa takes just a couple minutes work, but eSIMs only work in eSIM compatible phones. Traveltomtom recommends ordering an eSIM for South Africa via either SimOptions or Airalo.
Check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for South Africa in 2025.
Mobile internet operators in South Africa
There are 4 main mobile internet providers in South Africa with country wide network coverage:
- MTN
- Vodacom
- Cell C
- Telkom
On top of that there is a fairly new provider on the market called Rain, a so-called MVNO. They provide data-only sim cards for South Africa, phone calls are NOT supported. Their network is very small but for the big cities they offer competitive prices and unlimited data sim cards for South Africa.
Rain operates partially on the Vodacom and MTN network. More about the best 4G/5G network in South Africa in 2025 later.
As of 2025 the mobile internet operators in South Africa now also offer eSIMs for tourists as well as physical prepaid sim cards.
Prices prepaid sim cards South Africa
All prices and info are updated as per January 2025. Prices are in South African Rand (ZAR) and $1 USD = 19 ZAR and 100 ZAR = $5.3 USD.
Cell C
A prepaid Cell C sim card costs 25 ZAR and comes with loaded credit:
- 1 GB data
- 50 minutes
- 20 ZAR calling credit
- Valid for 12 days
Additionally you can buy weekly and monthly data bundles, here is an example:
- 3 GB data + 3 GB data after midnight till 6 am - valid for 30 days = 170 ZAR - $9 USD
Well these after midnight data bundles etc. are useless when you ask me. I am not a fan of the Cell C prepaid sim card deals. Value for money is NOT what I had hoped for, especially regarding their weak 4G/5G network across South Africa.
Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that Cell C sim cards are not recommended for tourists visiting South Africa.
The Cell C website is very slow and not helpful either when it comes to finding info about additional data bundles for prepaid sim cards. Cell C provides physical prepaid sim cards as well as eSIMs in in Cell C stores in South Africa.
Telkom
A great thing about a Telkom prepaid sim card is that they are for free. After registration you can top up with one of their prepaid data plans as shown above in the picture.
In the above Telkom bundles there are also minutes to Telkom numbers included as well as some free GB for WhatsApp and YouTube. Overall these bundles are very complicated for tourists who just want to use data while on their South Africa holiday.
Because of the weak Telkom network coverage a Telkom prepaid sim card is not recommend for tourist. For more info check the Telkom South Africa website. Telkom provides eSIMs as well as physical prepaid sim cards in Telkom stores in South Africa.
Vodacom
A Vodacom South Africa sim card costs 20 ZAR ($1 USD) and comes with no credit. They offer tourist sim cards with Voice & Data combo bundles:
- 3 GB data + 30 minutes + 50 ZAR credit + 30 SMS - valid for 30 days = 299 ZAR - $16 USD
- 5 GB data + 50 minutes + 100 ZAR credit + 50 SMS - valid for 50 days = 449 ZAR - $24 USD
- 10 GB data + 100 minutes + 150 ZAR credit + 100 SMS - valid 100 days = 699 ZAR - $37 USD
Vodacom South Africa calls it a promotion… Well, Traveltomtom calls it EXPENSIVE!
Reminder that an Airalo eSIM for South Africa with 10 GB data costs $26 USD and you don't need to visit a store in South Africa. You have data on your phone as soon as the plane lands with an eSIM.
A much better option is to choose the data/calling bundles yourself. Get one of the data bundles for 1 month and add some calling time separately:
- 5 GB data = 349 ZAR - $19 USD
- 10 GB data = 469 ZAR - $26 USD
- 20 GB data = 699 ZAR - $38 USD
Vodacom South Africa prepaid sim cards are expensive! For more info check the Vodacom South Africa website.
Vodacom offers eSIMs as well as physical prepaid sim cards in Vodacom stores in South Africa.
MTN
An MTN South Africa sim card costs 4 ZAR ($0.2) for the registration and you will have to add voice and/or data bundles. MTN offers weekly and monthly bundles:
- 2 GB data + 60 minutes for 1 month = 99 ZAR - $5 USD
- 4.5 GB data + 100 minutes for 1 month = 169 ZAR - $9 USD
- 7.5 GB data + 200 minutes for 1 month = 299 ZAR - $16 USD
- 15 GB data + 400 minutes for 1 month = 399 ZAR - $22 USD
The MTN slogan is: Complicated. Combo offers. Simplified.
For more information check the MTN South Africa website. MTN provides physical prepaid sim cards as well as eSIMs in stores in South Africa.
Rain
As mentioned before a Rain sim card is free and can be picked up from any Pargo store around the country. You will have to do the registration and activation yourself through their website, so you need WiFi. It is pretty simple though…
A little more complicated for tourists but Rain has some of the best sim only deals in South Africa. Keep in mind though that this is a data only sim card, voice calls are NOT supported, but data calling is of course available.
- unlimited data plan with a 4G connection costs 319 ZAR - $17 USD for 1 month.
A hotspot is NOT available on the Rain data plans. Rain uses the Vodacom and the MTN network, but it is only available in and around the big cities, so for tourists going for example on a road trip from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth it is not recommended. Check out the Rain website for more info.
Best 4G/5G network in South Africa in 2025
As briefly mentioned before MTN and Vodacom have the best 4G/5G mobile network in South Africa. Telkom, Cell C and Rain are not recommend for road trips in South Africa as their network is much weaker.
Is there 5G in South Africa?
Yes, there is 5G in South Africa and as of 2025 it is decently well spread around the country and in most tourist destinations in South Africa you can find a 5G signal.
At the moment only Vodacom and MTN offer 5G. As Rain operates on the Vodacom network they also offer 5G. When I was in Cape Town recently I was enjoying a 5G signal almost all the time and the data speed was pretty good.
Let's have a look at the 4G/5G network coverage maps for South Africa and compare the mobile data networks of the mobile internet operators in South Africa.
Cell C 4G/5G network coverage map
Telkom 4G/5G network coverage map
MTN 4G/5G network coverage map
Vodacom 4G/5G network coverage map
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2025 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in South Africa in 2025.
We can clearly conclude that when buying a prepaid sim card for traveling in South Africa you have to stick to either MTN or Vodacom.
Because their weak mobile data network sim cards from Cell C and Telekom sim cards are not recommend for tourists visiting South Africa.
Looking at the above 4G/5G coverage maps for South Africa updated for 2025 Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that Vodacom has the best 4G/5G mobile data network in South Africa in 2025, MTN is a good runner up.
Best prepaid sim card for South Africa in 2025
Traveltomtom does NOT recommend a Telkom or a Cell C sim card for traveling in South Africa in 2025.
A Rain sim card with unlimited data sounds great, but is hard to obtain for tourists as they are only sold in Pargo stores, the mail service in South Africa. Also the Rain mobile network coverage is very limited to Cape Town and Johannesburg only, so also not recommended.
Therefore only two options left for the best prepaid sim card in South Africa.
Comparing Vodacom and MTN Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that Vodacom has the better mobile data network coverage in South Africa.
However, the Vodacom prepaid sim cards are expensive. A Vodacom sim card for tourists with 10 GB data is 469 ZAR ($26 USD).
Keep in mind that an Airalo eSIM with 10 GB data also costs $26 USD, but you arrange everything online and don't need to visit a Vodacom store in South Africa.
For more details check out my eSIM guide for South Africa with a comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to South Africa in 2025.
MTN has cheaper prepaid sim card plans that gives you 1 GB data per day starting from 99 ZAR - $5.38 USD and because MTN also has a great 4G/5G mobile data network Traveltomtom rates MTN the best sim card for tourists in South Africa in 2025.
You can buy this MTN sim card deal at Johannesburg Airport as well as at Cape Town Airport, but you will have to ask for it as it is mostly not advertised for some reason.
Best eSIMs for South Africa
The easiest ways to stay connected when traveling to South Africa in 2025 is an eSIM. You arrange everything online within just a couple clicks. No more swapping physical sim cards or visiting a phone store in South Africa.
You order an eSIM for South Africa on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a South Africa eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in South Africa it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For more detailed info on how eSIMs work and an answer to all FAQ about using eSIMs check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for South Africa.
Here are some recommendations.
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo in more than 50 countries around the world and never had an issue.
Check out the Airalo South Africa eSIM plans for 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $8 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $15.5 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $26 USD
Click here to order a South Africa eSIM via Airalo.
The above data-only eSIMs you can order via Airalo are from CellSA and are valid in South Africa only. They operate on the 4G/LTE network of Vodacom, the best 4G/5G mobile network in South Africa.
Ubigi
On Ubigi you always find lots of different eSIMs and sometimes it is hard to figure out the best ones. Read the Traveltomtom's full review of Ubigi with all pros and cons.
For South Africa I spotted some amazing eSIMs deals and that is why Ubigi is ranked high in South Africa eSIM comparison.
Here are the Ubigi eSIMs for South Africa in 2025:
- 1 GB data for 30 days = $6 USD
- 3 GB data for 15 days = $9 USD
- 10 GB data for 7 days = $19 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $22 USD
- 25 GB data for 30 days = $39 USD
- 50 GB data for 30 days = $59 USD
Click here to order an eSIM for South Africa from Ubigi.
The Ubigi eSIMs for South Africa operate on the MTN 4G/5G network and are data-only. Incoming and outgoing calls are not supported. But 5G is supported.
The Ubigi 25 GB data plan for just $39 USD is actually is the best value eSIM for South Africa in 2025 and therefore also Traveltomtom's first pick.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for South Africa.
Traveltomtom wrote a detailed guide and comparison of the best eSIMs for South Africa in 2025.
Order a prepaid sim card for South Africa online
If your phone is not eSIM compatible but you would like to order a sim card for traveling to South Africa online before your trip then check out the following.
Arrive prepared in South Africa with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in South Africa, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for South Africa:
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international prepaid sim card for South Africa via SimOptions.
Last reminder that if your phone is eSIM compatible you can arrange everything directly online without visiting a phone store. Get yourself an eSIM for South Africa in just a couple clicks.
My experiences buying a sim card in South Africa
On my recent trips to South Africa I always had an eSIM from Airalo and was very satisfied with the performance. But here are some experiences from back in the days when I used to buy a prepaid sim card in a phone store in South Africa.
When arriving to Cape Town Airport there were two options available: MTN and Vodacom. I checked both shops and found out that MTN was much cheaper than Vodacom, so that was an easy decision.
I was happy with my MTN sim card and it worked very good all around Cape Town and on my hiking adventures in the nearby hills. The internet speed was fast and I had no problems whatsoever. In August I even enjoyed a 5G signal all over Cape Town. Read all about my experiences in my article buying a sim card at Cape Town Airport, including a vlog.
As part of my big Africa overland trip in 2021 I traveled around South Africa from July to September and on this trip I also visited Lesotho and Eswatini.
In some South Africa sim card guides I read some wrong information:
- There is free roaming with MTN South Africa in Eswatini... NOT TRUE!
- There is free roaming with Vodacom South Africa in Lesotho... NOT TRUE!
For more info about buying a sim card in Lesotho in 2025, click on the link to read my article.
How do I know? I asked in the stores and they confirmed this, but I also traveled to both, Eswatini and Lesotho and tried it out myself! I told you I am trying to visit every country in the world.
Vlog about buying a prepaid sim card in South Africa
Check out my vlog with everything you need to know about buying a sim card in South Africa. In the video you can find my experiences going to the mobile phone shops, checking the prices, the details, requirements, etc.
I am sure some of the tips for staying connected when traveling to South Africa were helpful. If you have any questions please let me know in the comments below.
Curious what the life of a full time nomadic traveler looks like? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along with daily updates from around the world about the good, the bad and the ugly about traveling. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, still about 40 to go, but no rush.
Enjoy your trip to South Africa!