How the prepaid data price comparison works
Last updated 10 November 2026
Prepaid data is sold in bundles, and the same amount of data can cost very different amounts depending on the network, the size of the bundle and how long it lasts. This page lists the bundles that Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C show publicly, works out the rand per GB of each one, and shows what the listed bundles cost to cover the GB you use in a month.
The prices were read from each network’s own page on 2026-11-10. There are 46 bundles in the list.
How it works
- Enter the GB you use in a month. Your phone’s data usage screen shows this.
- Choose whether to count night data. Night data only works in set hours.
- Read what each network’s listed bundles cost to cover that use, and how much has to be paid at the start.
- Use the table of every bundle to compare the rand per GB.
Worked example
With the starting figure:
- For 13 GB a month, counting any-time data only, Vodacom’s listed cover is 1 × 15 GB + 15 GB Night owl at R 169.00 a month.
- MTN: 1 × 30-day 20 GB AnyTime + 20 GB Night, R 599.00 a month.
- Telkom: 1 × All-Network 100 GB, R 166.50 a month, with R 999 paid at the start for 6 months.
- Across all the listed bundles, the lowest price per GB of any-time data is R 5.32 (Vodacom, 75 GB + 75 GB Night owl) and the highest is R 599.00 (MTN, 365-day 1 GB AnyTime).
Price per GB and why it is only part of the picture
The price per GB is the price of the bundle divided by its data. It makes bundles of different sizes easy to compare, and larger bundles usually cost less per GB. But a lower price per GB does not help if you pay for data you do not use. A bundle that lasts 30 days and is bigger than your use means you pay for the spare data too.
For any-time data the tool divides by the any-time part only. If you choose to count night data, it divides by both parts.
Any-time and night data
Many bundles come as an any-time amount plus an equal amount of night data. Night data works only in set hours, usually late at night to early morning. Whether it counts for you depends on when you use data.
Telkom lists most bundles as “X + X” without saying what the second part is. It is treated as night data here, which is an assumption. Telkom bundles last the current month plus 2 months (counted as 60 days) or 6 months.
Bundles that last longer than a month
A bundle that lasts longer than 30 days is paid for once, so the tool spreads its price over the months it lasts. This means you pay a larger amount at the start. The tool takes the total data you would use over the life of the bundle, buys enough bundles of the same kind to cover it, and divides the total paid by the months. This shows a lower monthly cost, but you pay more at the start and you cannot be sure your use will stay the same.
The tool uses only bundles that last 30 days or longer and give data you can spend at any pace. It looks at 31 of the 46 listed bundles for this. Shorter weekly and daily bundles are in the table, but are not used to cover a month.
What is not here
Cell C’s standard any-time prepaid bundles are shown only after a phone number is entered, so they are not shown here. Only the SmartData daily bundles and the Day-by-Day bundles that its public pages show are listed. Day-by-Day data is handed out in fixed amounts each day, so it is shown in the table but not used to work out a month’s cover. The SmartData page title says bundles start at R6.00, while its first bundle on the page costs R5; neither is listed here because it is under 1 GB.
rain is not listed. Its home page shows unlimited monthly plans and no prepaid GB bundles. Out-of-bundle rates, the price when a bundle runs out, are not shown because they could not be read reliably for every network.
About the figures
Every price comes from the network’s own page, read on 2026-11-10. Networks change prices without notice, some bundles are sold only on an app or a USSD menu, and some are open only to certain customers. This is a way to compare published prices, not advice on which network or bundle to buy. Read the full disclaimer.
Things to watch
- Check the price and what is included on the network’s own page, app or USSD menu before you buy.
- Check whether a bundle auto-renews. Some are sold only as monthly recurring bundles.
- Data you do not use usually expires with the bundle.
Related: the monthly budget planner and the streaming services cost comparison.