Good news about bombshell MTN price plan

MTN SuperFlex has been made a permanent product in the yellow network’s stable after running as a promotion for over a year.

Launched in September 2023, SuperFlex is an an online, SIM-only, month-to-month tariff plan offering unlimited local voice calls and SMS messages, combined with a large data bundle.

MTN boasts that SuperFlex requires no paperwork, contracts, or credit checks. Customers can pay monthly, change their plan as their needs change, and cancel anytime on the MTN App.

The base package costs R299 per month and includes 10GB of data. Subscribers may upgrade this to 15GB for R399 or 20GB for R479 per month.

The unlimited voice calling feature is subject to an acceptable usage policy. There are no set thresholds to how much subscribers can call, but they may not use the service for commercial purposes like call centres.

MTN SuperFlex is designed for use in a smartphone by a person. Any other usage is restricted and may result in a suspension.

At launch, the service was limited to new numbers and physical SIMs.

However, MTN quickly expanded it to eSIMs and allowed users on other networks to port their numbers in.

It has also since added a 6-month subscription to Disney+ Mobile to the packages.

Sign-up is handled entirely online. Customers place their orders and make monthly payments using their debit or credit card.

From there, everything is handled through the MTN app, including providing the necessary RICA documentation to activate the account.

The unlimited voice minutes and SMSes can be used across all local networks for standard-rate calls and messages.

Any international and premium-rated calls and SMSes are charged at prevailing rates.

Therefore, iPhone users must load a small amount of airtime for iMessage and Facetime to send an international SMS to register with Apple’s servers.

MTN’s launch of SuperFlex was a bombshell moment for South Africa’s cellular industry, which had fiercely protected voice call revenues.

SuperFlex signalled that mobile voice was no longer a premium product, except in a commercial context like call centres.

MTN sells 10GB of anytime data on a month-to-month basis for around R150. Therefore, with its R299 per month SuperFlex package, MTN effectively said that unlimited voice calls were equivalent to 10GB of data.

This was a huge departure from previous products offering uncapped mobile voice calling, which were generally upwards of R1,000 per month.

It’s worth noting that other operators and service providers also offer cheaper 10GB to 20GB mobile data options for those who don’t need unlimited voice minutes or SMS messages.

However, SuperFlex is perfect for someone who wants a combination of data and minutes that allows them to not worry about how much airtime they have left.

It is South Africa’s first worry-free mobile plan for less than R500 per month.

In developing SuperFlex, MTN clearly took notes from mobile virtual network operators like Afrihost Airmobile on great online and app user experience.

It then combined this with a great value-for-money product.

MTN’s announcement comes shortly after it introduced a promotional discount for new customers days before SuperFlex’s offer validity was set to expire on 31 October 2024.

The operator launched a special offering a R100 discount on the first month of its 10GB SuperFlex package.

New subscribers can get the 10GB MTN SuperFlex plan for R199 for the first month. From the second month, the price goes back up to R299.

This promotion is valid from 28 October “until decided”.

“In a world where mobile connectivity is essential, MTN SuperFlex is our commitment to empowering individuals with the freedom to shape their mobile experience,” said MTN South Africa chief consumer officer Ernst Fonternel.