Vodacom has hiked its iPhone contract prices due to significant cost increases caused by the foreign exchange rate.
A MyBroadband reader noticed the price increase while signing up for an iPhone 13 128GB contract on the Red Core 1GB top-up package.
The 24-month contract price had increased from R899 to R999 per month.
“There was a significant price increase on Apple devices due to the foreign exchange rate,” a Vodacom spokesperson told MyBroadband.
“As a result, we adjusted pricing on certain packages bundled with Apple devices to align with the exchange rate.”
It should be noted that Vodacom added 1GB of Night Owl data to the package as part of the increase, having previously only included 1GB of anytime data.
The other features of the package — voice minutes and SMSes — remained unchanged.
Vodacom’s price increases in 2022
Vodacom’s spokesperson told MyBroadband that the price hikes it implemented in April 2022 were its first in three years.
“This was the first such increase in three years following a regular review of our products and services to ensure our portfolio remains relevant and competitive,” they said.
“Given economic pressures brought about by the global health crisis over the past two years, Vodacom has actively sought to buffer price increases to ease the financial burden for customers.”
They added that the increases implemented in April had seen Red package prices rise by between 3.1% and 5.3%.
Vodacom announced the price increases in March 2022, saying they would take effect from 1 April and that device instalments wouldn’t be affected.
“The Covid–19 landscape has led to an increased digital demand as we take much of our personal and professional lives online,” Vodacom stated.
“As a result, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to continue to provide you with a quality service.”
The mobile operator announced another set of price increases in May — this time for its Red Flexi and mobile broadband packages. The hikes took effect on 1 June 2022.
“As we move forward with 2022 and continue to provide a quality service, we are updating our Flexi price plans to ensure that our customers get the best airtime value possible,” Vodacom said.
The changes meant Red Flexi subscribers would receive R5 to R30 more airtime with their package, but they would also have to pay more.
Vodacom’s mobile broadband postpaid and top-up subscribers were also informed their fees would increase.
The company explained that price increases were unavoidable across all industries, adding that from 1 June, all mobile broadband plans would increase by 3%.
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