In a nutshell
- There are a huge number of eSIM providers for South Africa — we’ll cut through the noise and show you which one is actually worth it.
- Short on time? Our top pick is the Saily eSIM for South Africa. It’s super affordable, really easy to install, and perfect for a classic road trip.
- Use discount code 22places to get 10% off your Saily eSIM.
What you should know about eSIMs for South Africa
An eSIM is a great choice for your South Africa trip. With one, you don’t have to worry about picking up a SIM card on arrival — you can set everything up nice and easy before you leave. Once you land, just switch your plan and you’re online in no time.
For South Africa, there are eSIMs where you choose a specific amount of data (GB) upfront, and others that give you unlimited data for a set number of days.
The type of trip you’re taking is the main factor in deciding which eSIM makes the most sense for you.
Our recommendation: Saily as a South Africa eSIM
For a classic road trip through South Africa, we recommend the eSIM from Saily.
It’s one of the most affordable eSIMs for South Africa and super easy to install via the app (iOS I Android). All you have to do is pick a plan for your destination country and tap the install button. Once you arrive in South Africa, the eSIM activates automatically — not many eSIMs can do that.
You can buy the eSIM up to 30 days before your trip. Totally stress-free! While you’re there, the app keeps you updated on your usage and remaining time at all times. You can also use Saily to share a hotspot with other devices.
Saily offers a range of plans with a set number of gigabytes. We’ve put together a quick overview of the different plans for you.
If you use the internet normally — say, for Google Maps while driving around South Africa and browsing social media — 10 GB per person should be more than enough for a two- to three-week trip. And if it’s not, you can easily top up.
By the way, we explain how to install and activate an eSIM in our article about eSIMs for travel.
Go to Saily’s eSIM
Use the discount code 22places to get 10% off your South Africa eSIM.
| Data Volume | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | 3.50 EUR |
| 3 GB | 30 days | 9 EUR |
| 5 GB | 30 days | 11 EUR |
| 10 GB Our Pick | 30 days | 20 EUR |
| 20 GB | 30 days | 32 EUR |
South Africa eSIMs compared
If you’re not doing a classic road trip or you need a lot of data, we’d suggest looking at other eSIM providers for South Africa.
We’ve rounded up the best providers for every type of trip and compared them for you.
The Red Bull eSIM for South Africa is also a really solid option for classic road trips — it’s even slightly cheaper than Saily. That said, our discount code saves you 10% with Saily, the Saily app is even more user-friendly than Red Bull’s, and we’ve already tested the Saily eSIM ourselves. Our experience using the eSIM while traveling was seriously great.
| Top Pick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saily | Red Bull | Jetpac | Holafly | |
| When is the eSIM most worthwhile? | For a classic road trip | For a classic road trip | For a short trip | For heavy users (streaming and digital nomads) |
| Price for 10 GB and 30 days | 20 EUR | 20 EUR | 23 EUR | 80 EUR for 3 weeks of unlimited data |
| Data volume | 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 GB | Between 1 and 10 GB | 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 GB | Unlimited data |
| Duration | 7 and 30 days | 30 days | 4, 7, and 30 days | 1–90 days |
| Hotspot | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | 500 MB per day allowed |
| Installation | Via app (iOS I Android) | Via app (iOS I Android) | Via app (iOS I Android) | Via QR code |
| Activation | Automatic upon arrival in the destination country | Manually via the app | Manually via settings | Manually via settings |
| Multi-country eSIM available? | Africa or global | No | Africa or global | Africa or global |
| Discount code | 22places (10%) | |||
| Buy eSIM | Buy now | Buy now | Buy now | Buy now |
Our verdict on the South Africa eSIM
The best eSIM for South Africa really depends on your trip and how much you use the internet. Our pick for a classic road trip through South Africa is the Saily eSIM.
For two to three weeks, we’d go with the 10 GB plan. That way you don’t have to ration your data and can use Google Maps, check social media, and browse without worry.
Go to Saily’s eSIM
We regularly update the information in our article about eSIMs in South Africa. That said, things can change unexpectedly. It’s best to double-check the terms and prices before you make your final decision on buying an eSIM. Thanks!
