Vodacom drops data rates further to drive Digital Inclusion for All

01 April 2021 – Today, Vodacom is reducing pricing on certain 30-day data bundles by up to 14% as part of its ongoing commitment to reduce the cost to communicate and connect more people to the digital economy.

The latest price reduction includes the frequently purchased 1GB bundle, which is now R85, a 14% reduction from R99. As part of these price adjustments Vodacom is also giving greater value to customers by allocating up to 33% more data on selected 30-day bundles, to ensure customers get more value at last year’s prices. This will promote digital inclusion and assist our 43 million customers in making savings at a time when they need it most.

Vodacom has also re-introduced the 30-day 2GB bundle at R159 to give customers wider choice and more value. Tariffs on the 50MB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB and 20GB 30-day bundles remain unchanged.

“For the past four years, we have remained relentless and consistent in our approach to democratise access by bringing about affordable mobile prices. Our aim in reducing these prices is to ensure customers are constantly connected on SA’s leading network. Our purpose is to connect for a better future and ensure that no one is left behind in this new digital age. It is one of the most critical ways we believe we can create a more equal society for all,” says Jorge Mendes, Chief Officer of Vodacom’s Consumer Business.

Since April 2019, Vodacom has almost halved the price of data to ensure access to affordable communication solutions for everyone, especially those with limited resources.

“In our journey towards becoming a leading Pan African technology company, we will not stop until everyone is connected, as it is part of creating a sustainable, inclusive digital society. As a purpose-led organisation, the voice of our customer is important to us, as such we have reintroduced certain bundles to meet the customer demand so we can go further together,” added Mendes.

To highlight Vodacom’s continued support, the zero-rated ConnectU platform launched last year offering free access to critical essential services, information and cheaper data, benefits over 14 million unique registered users per month. ConnectU offers even more affordable data prices for customers living in 2000 of South Africa’s lower income suburbs, villages and towns. The service also addresses other key societal needs by connecting users to news, job portals, educational content on the e-School platform, and information on health, wellness, safety and security. Through ConnectU, customers also have access to emergency services such as the what3words emergency findme website and more.

For even more value, customers can continue to access personalised discounted offers through Just4You. Over the past seven years, the popular platform has provided tailor-made data and voice deals based on individual usage patterns and location.

Reducing the barriers to communicate includes having access to low-cost devices. Over 4.2 million of Vodacom’s low-cost branded suite of smart devices, which are 3G and 4G enabled, have been sold in South Africa. This access to connectivity has been further enhanced by prepaid device financing, enabling customers with no credit facilities to pay for 4G devices in instalments.

“Since April last year, we have saved our customers billions of rands through our cost-reduction initiatives and we will continue to do so. We will also invest over R50 billion over a five-year period in infrastructure and new technologies, to increase broadband coverage and data speeds which will bridge the digital divide even more. All our initiatives form part of our social contract, which is a commitment to ensure everyone is connected irrespective of their socio-economic circumstances. We are on a mission to connect everyone and will continue to play our part to combine our technology with the power of individuals, society, businesses and government so we can go further together,” concludes Mendes.

To find out more about Vodacom, visit www.vodacom.co.za