The new kid on the block…
We all know that TelkomSA is the new kid on the block compared to all the other networks (Vodacom, MTN & Cellc). I remember when CellC was the new kid on the block but after some research, they have been around since 2001 which was 16 years ago. Yet CellC managed to pull it off and has one of the best networks in South Africa at the moment – and we all love their adverts.
Telkom Mobile was launched in 2010 under the branding 8ta which is relatively new compared to other Networks in South Africa.
Benefits of Telkom Mobile…
- New Fresh take on Data
- Willing to take a chance on something new
- Have the ability to grow into something amazing
- Undercuts the competition in terms of Pricing
- Offers deals
- FreeMe Contracts (Will explain later on in the blog)
Things to worry about…
- Relatively New, has a lot to learn
- 4G coverage is not the best
- Still has to piggy-back for MTN network to get signal around South Africa
- Don’t always offer as many phones as Vodacom, MTN or CellC
FreeMe Contracts…
Telkom Mobile has been innovative and making waves in the mobile world of South Africa over the past years. They have introduced the new FreeMe Contracts which focus on Data and not calls anymore.
Telkom Mobile has come to the realisation that we all depend on data and that we can not go a day without it as the world has not become a place that you need to be connected all the time – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and all the other social networks (don’t forget about Tech SA)
Please see costs of the contracts below:
As you can see, the above contracts are amazing and easy to afford unlike the other mobile networks in South Africa – they have changed the face of mobile contracts forever and are trying to catch up with the rest of the world.
I remember when I lived in the states, I paid about $29.00 for a phone and unlimited data which was amazing but when i got back to SA I always wondered why we are not doing the same? But Telkom Mobile has the answer so now they are my preferred network provider.
I am not saying all the network are over priced. CellC offers some amazing deals and is always trying to find new ways of promoting their contracts and are always offering something extra which would entice any person’s looking to take out there first contract.
Vodacom, on the other hand is South Africa’s biggest and most popular network and they have been around for a long time. But I am just going to put it simply to you guys – they are over priced but also have the best network coverage in our beautiful country. South Africa as realised this and the wonder hashtag was born – #datamustfall. But this has not changed the prices of most networks except for Telkom Mobile.
To be completely honest, I don’t enjoy going to a Telkom Store these days as the lines are always long and you have to wait for such a long time in order to be attended to. This is not necessary a bad thing for Telkom because the public have now realised what Telkom can offer them in terms of data savings compared to the networks they are currently on. I am sure Vodacom and the other networks have realised this but I haven’t seen them do anything about it. Are they not feeling the hit on their bottom line.
The one thing I don’t like about the innovative FreeMe contracts is that you don’t get minutes with the lower prices deals (FreeMe 1gig, FreeMe 2gig, FreeMe 5gig & FreeMe 10gig) and you have to go and buy them every month. The minutes are not expensive but I am sure Telkom could have found a way to bundle them in the FreeMe contracts whithout increasing the contract price to much? Everyone is looking for the best deal with there when they have to sign a 24 month contract and if Telkom did this they would be the best value of money out there.
Prepaid customers shouldn’t despair: these deals are available to them, too and it’s offered on a month-to-month basis for post-paid customers who are looking for Sim-only deals.
Telkom Mobile’s does do something right as calls to other Telkom Mobile users are free and wont cost you a thing, you also get free calls to all Telkom landlines (even though landlines are slowly phasing out). SO if you and your friends are all on Telkom, you can talk for hours and the only thing that will run out is your battery.
Telkom also offers the deal of the month – which I recommend you having a look at as they are normally great value for money and a once in a life time special.
One of South Africa best mobile contracts offers you Free WhatsApp, Free SMS’s and Free WiFi.
Data Comparison – 2017 price’s…
| Telkom Mobile | Cell C | Vodacom | MTN | |
| 25mb | R 7.25 | R12 – 30mb | R12 – 30mb | R12 – 20mb |
| 50mb | R 14.50 | R20 – 60mb | – | R 25.00 |
| 100mb | R 29.00 | R 29.00 | R 29.00 | R 35.00 |
| 250mb | R 39.00 | R 49.00 | R 59.00 | R85.00 – 300mb |
| 500mb | R 69.00 | R 99.00 | R 99.00 | R 105.00 |
| 1Gb | R 99.00 | R 149.00 | R 149.00 | R 160.00 |
| 2Gb | R 139.00 | R 249.00 | R 249.00 | R 260.00 |
| 3Gb | R 199.00 | R 299.00 | R 299.00 | R 330.00 |
| 5Gb | R 299.00 | R 399.00 | R 399.00 | R 430.00 |
| 10Gb | R 499.00 | R 5 699.00 | R 599.00 | R 650.00 |
| 20Gb | R 899.00 | – | R 999.00 | R 1 250.00 |
| 50Gb | R 1 799.00 | – | – | R 1 999.00 |
| 100Gb | R 3 199.00 | – | – | R 3 999.00 |
Out-of-bundle rates on FreeMe:
Voice: R0.69 per minute (per-second billing); Text: R0.30 (160 characters); MMS: R0.50 (300KB); Data: R0.29 per MB.
In Conclusion…
Telkom Mobile has done something good but is it great just yet? I will leave that to you to decide.
Tech SA Blog 