Major South African bank launches eSIMs on its mobile service provider

FNB has announced the launch of eSIM support across its FNB Connect product suite for its retail and commercial customers, making it the first South African banking mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to do so.

To mark the launch, FNB Connect will also give qualifying customers an extra 100GB of free data for six months when they get an FNB Connect eSIM.

According to FNB, introducing eSIMs will help reduce the time between signing up and activation to less than three minutes.

“It will take less than three minutes to connect to a mobile network with no additional time needed for the delivery of a physical SIM card,” it said.

According to FNB Connect CEO Sashin Sookroo, the number of FNB customers with eSIM-enabled smartphones has increased by 169% over the past three years.

“Moreover, we expect these numbers to grow further as eSIM-enabled devices become more readily available across more devices with more affordable price points,” he added.

Describing the move as a “game changer,” Sookroo said the addition of eSIM support would simplify the process of customers porting their numbers to FNB Connect.

“Because an eSIM is a digital chip embedded into one’s device, it means that each customer can connect to multiple mobile networks without the hassle of needing to physically swap their SIM cards,” he added.

“We are thrilled to announce that we are also giving qualifying customers more value on our free FNB Connect eSIMs with an extra 100GB free per month for six months.”

To qualify for the free data, customers must sign up for a new FNB Connect SIM plan with an eSIM.

Sookroo said FNB Connect is preparing to launch several eSIM-based services.

FNB said the introduction of eSIMs is expected to positively affect the environment over time as it eliminates the production, warehousing, and delivery of physical SIM cards.

“In line with FNB’s aspiration to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 in our South African operations, we’re excited to see how this move will help us and our customers to minimise our environmental impact while reducing plastic waste,” said Sookroo.

While FNB Connect claims to be the first South African banking MVNO to launch eSIM support, several other MVNOs support the technology, including Afrihost Air Mobile and uConnect.

South Africa’s mobile network operators have also launched support for the technology, although it still generally requires a visit to a store to buy one.

Devices with eSIM functionality include Samsung flagship devices released since the Galaxy S20 and iPhones released since the XR.