Compare prepaid bundles across Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C and Rain. Find the cheapest rand-per-GB deal in seconds — completely free.
Sorted by cheapest cost per gigabyte. Click any column header to re-sort.
| Network | Data | Price | R/GB | Validity | Notes |
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Free tools, honest comparisons and practical guides written for South Africans.
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Backup towers, battery hours and the dual-SIM trick.
Under R200/month using campus Wi-Fi and night data.
Every network ranked by cost per GB — updated monthly.
The single most useful number when comparing mobile data is the price per gigabyte. You get it by dividing the bundle price by the gigabytes included. A R49 bundle with 1GB works out to about R49 per gigabyte, while a R99 bundle with 20GB works out to under R5 per gigabyte. The headline price can look small while the real cost per gigabyte is high, which is exactly how expensive bundles hide in plain sight.
Our comparison table does this maths for every bundle automatically and sorts the results from cheapest to most expensive, so you never have to work it out yourself. We update the underlying prices every month so the ranking reflects what networks actually charge today.
South Africa has five major networks and the price for the same gigabyte can differ by more than 100% between them. Three things drive that gap.
The first is coverage cost. Networks with huge rural and highway footprints, such as Vodacom and MTN, spend more on infrastructure and pass that on in higher prices. The second is night data. Telkom bundles include free overnight Night Surfer data, which slashes the effective price per gigabyte for anyone who can download while they sleep. The third is the business model. Rain sells fixed monthly data only products rather than once off bundles, which makes heavy home use cheaper but is less suited to light or mobile users.
None of these makes one network simply best. The cheapest choice for a student in a city is rarely the best choice for a sales rep driving rural roads. That is why we show every option side by side instead of pushing a single winner.
Start with the comparison table above to see who is cheapest right now at the bundle size you want. Use the savings calculator to find out exactly how much you could save by switching from your current network. Try the data quiz if you are not sure how much data you actually need each month. Finally, browse the guides for deeper advice on night data, student bundles, load shedding and more.
Every price on DataCheck ZA is taken directly from the official prepaid data pages of Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C and Rain, then cross checked against pricing coverage on mybroadband.co.za and businesstech.co.za. We review every network at the start of each month and after any public price announcement.
DataCheck ZA is independent and based in the Eastern Cape. We are not owned by any network and we earn nothing when you choose one provider over another. Our only goal is to show the true cost per gigabyte so you can decide for yourself. Spotted a price that looks wrong? Tell us on our contact page and we will recheck it.
Telkom and MTN are usually the cheapest on cost per gigabyte, especially on larger bundles. Telkom drops to around R5 per gigabyte once its free night data is counted, and MTN has cut its prices hard too. Vodacom is typically the most expensive. The live table above always shows the current ranking.
We review every network at the start of each month and again whenever a network announces a price change. Each page shows when it was last reviewed so you know how current the figures are.
Yes, completely free. We are an independent comparison site, not a reseller, so we do not sell data or charge for the tools. You buy your bundle directly from the network as usual.
No. We only compare prices and explain your options. When you have found the bundle you want, you buy it straight from the network through their app, website or a USSD code. We are not affiliated with any network.
Buy a starter SIM from the cheaper network and use number portability to keep your existing number. The port is free, needs your ID and current number, and usually completes within 24 hours. Keep your old SIM active until the switch finishes.