Getting online in South Africa
A travel eSIM is a data plan you install before departure and switch on when you land, so your phone is online in South Africa without roaming charges and without hunting for a SIM counter at arrivals. Your home number stays where it is.
Where you land in South Africa
Airports in South Africa with scheduled flights and an IATA code. The minute you step off one of them is the minute an eSIM stops being optional.
Where you will actually use the data
The largest towns and cities near those arrival airports, by population (GeoNames). Coverage is the partner's to state, not ours.
- Johannesburg9 418 183 people
- Cape Town4 772 846 people
- Durban3 338 026 people
- Pretoria2 112 693 people
- Soweto1 695 047 people
- Gqeberha1 050 078 people
- Soshanguve872 309 people
- Pietermaritzburg839 327 people
South Africa travel eSIM questions
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Two things decide it, and both are on your handset, not on any plan: the phone must be eSIM capable, and it must be carrier unlocked. Most phones sold in the last few years are both; phones bought on a carrier contract often are not until the contract ends. We do not test handsets — your phone's settings screen and your carrier can tell you.
Do I keep my own number?
Yes. A travel eSIM sits alongside the SIM you already use, so calls and messages to your home number keep arriving. You choose which line carries mobile data.
When should I install it?
Before departure, while you still have wi-fi. Installation needs a connection; switching the line on when you land does not.
Why are there no prices on this page?
Because we do not measure them. Plans, data amounts and validity are set by our partner and change week to week. You see them on the partner's own page, where they are current.
Other destinations
Nearby countries travellers pair with South Africa.
