MTN Travel eSIMs launched — how they compare to roaming and going local

MTN South Africa has announced the launch of its Travel eSIM in partnership with KnowRoaming, enabling customers to buy data bundles seamlessly and more cost-effectively than traditional data roaming.

It says the new service should help eliminate the bill shock travellers could experience when roaming internationally.

“In partnership with KnowRoaming, MTN introduces the Travel eSIM that allows customers to easily purchase data bundles, providing a simple and cost-effective way to manage international data usage, effectively limiting possible bill shock,” says MTN SA.

The service offers data bundles ranging from 1GB to 50GB, with various validity periods. Pricing differs slightly between each destination country.

For example, those travelling to the UK will pay R79 for a 1GB data bundle, valid for seven days, while those travelling to the US will pay R69 for the same bundle.

“Travellers can purchase a 1GB data bundle in Dubai, valid for 7 days, for R69, in the UK for R79, the USA for R69 or Tanzania for R79,” said MTN SA.

“For those staying longer, a 5GB bundle valid for 15 days is available for R229 in Dubai, R259 in the UK, R279 in the USA or R319 in Tanzania.”

It also offers regional, multi-country data bundles for those crossing multiple borders during their travels.

For example, it sells a European regional travel eSIM covering 39 nations, with pricing starting at R69 for 1GB of data. The eSIM will automatically connect to local networks as users enter each new country.

According to Jason Probert, MTN SA’s general manager for digital services, the sign-up process is entirely digital thanks to eSIM technology.

“With a simple installation and a sign-up process that takes less than 5 minutes, Travel eSIM offers customers seamless internet connectivity in selected countries, giving them the freedom to choose from various country-specific or regional data roaming bundles,” he said.

“Travel eSIM is data-only, allowing customers to use it for Internet-based services such as WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook.”

The service will notify customers when they run out of data, and they can quickly recharge by logging into the Travel eSIM website.

“Customers can also activate existing voice and/or SMS-only roaming bundles and use this in conjunction with the affordable Travel eSIM data bundles,” MTN SA adds.

MyBroadband compared MTN’s Travel eSIM data pricing to its standard data roaming rates and the cost of buying a local prepaid eSIM in the destination country. We compared pricing for the US and the UK.

For those travelling to the US, MTN’s Travel eSIM data is generally the most affordable.

Subscribers can get a 1GB weekly bundle for R69, 3GB valid for 10 days for R189, 5GB valid for 15 days for R279, and 30-day 10GB and 20GB bundles for R459 and R749, respectively.

In comparison, MTN’s lowest data roaming rate for the US is R0.99 per MB, making it more expensive than the Travel eSIM and a local eSIM by a large margin.

For example, consuming 20GB of data at this rate will cost nearly R30,000.

It should be noted that MTN offers data roaming on Telecom North America’s network at a whopping rate of R125 per MB, which works out to R125,000 for 1GB of data.

However, this is an outlier, with the two other rates both being R0.99 per MB.

Buying an AT&T eSIM in the US was only more affordable than MTN’s Travel eSIM for the 50GB data allocation. MTN charges R1,349 for a two-month bundle, while AT&T charges $45 (R794.50).

MTN’s Travel eSIM is also the most affordable option for lower data allocations when travelling to the UK. However, getting a local Sky Mobile eSIM will save you money if you require more data.

Those using MTN’s Travel eSIM pay R79 for a seven-day 1GB bundle, R169 for a 10-day 3GB bundle, and R259 for a 15-day 5GB allocation. These prices were all lower than Sky Mobile’s.

However, Sky Mobile was markedly more affordable for data bundles sized 10GB and higher.

As expected, data roaming prices are the most expensive of the three. MTN’s lowest data roaming rate for the UK is also R0.99 per MB.

It is important to note that both Sky Mobile’s and AT&T’s eSIM prepaid plans include unlimited calls and texts.

The table below compares MTN’s Travel eSIM data pricing for the UK and USA to its Data Roaming pricing and getting a local prepaid eSIM in the destination country.