Capitec launching major mobile network feature
South Africa’s largest bank by customers, Capitec, confirmed plans to roll out support for embedded SIMs (eSIMs) on its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in 2026.
Capitec Connect executive head Dalene Steyn told MyBroadband the MVNO would roll out eSIM support, including a fully remote onboarding experience, in the second half of the year.
“This forms part of our ongoing focus on making connectivity simpler and more accessible for our clients,” Steyn said.
Steyn added that support for eSIM connectivity on wearables was planned as a future development. “We will share more details on this closer to the time,” she said.
Capitec Connect is South Africa’s largest bank-based MVNO. By 28 February 2026, it had 1.5 million 90-day active users.
The division’s net income also increased by 129%, from R193 million to R442 million, which boosted its contribution to Capitec’s broader fintech segment from 4.6% to 7.2%.
Capitec said the growth was driven by increased mobile data consumption and voice calls on the network.
Capitec Connect offers highly competitive prices on mobile data compared to major mobile networks and other MVNOs. It recently also launched free calls between Capitec Connect numbers.
Customers used 40.5 petabytes of mobile data during the year, which was 202% more than the 13.4 petabytes consumed in Capitec’s previous financial year.
The MVNO’s customer reach and revenue are particularly impressive when considering the MVNO only launched in 2022.
Capitec’s extensive customer base enabled the MVNO to quickly surpass two much older banking-based MVNOs — FNB Connect and Standard Bank Connect.
eSIM support has been essential for other upstart MVNOs that rolled out or enhanced their services in recent years, including Afrihost Airmobile, FNB Connect, and Melon Mobile.
The feature eliminated the need for a user to get a physical SIM card from a store or have it delivered to their address, reducing onboarding friction.
Coverage and cost benefits
On supported apps and websites, users can quickly sign up to a new mobile network with a fully online process.
After submitting their personal information and supporting documents for RICA, they can download their eSIM directly from the app or website.
Users can also have multiple eSIMs from different networks installed simultaneously and switch between them as needed, increasing the likelihood of having coverage in a particular area.
In dual eSIM devices, users can easily optimise costs by selecting different SIMs for voice calls, SMSs, and mobile data.
The feature was particularly useful for travellers, who could download an eSIM for cheaper data roaming in other countries before going abroad.
This not only saved time but also spared users the hassle of finding a cellular store with SIM cards when they arrived in their destination country.
The feature has become so popular in the US that the country’s top smartphone brand — Apple — has completely ditched physical SIM card trays in all models released there since 2022.
While earlier iPhones left the extra space open, more recent eSIM-only iPhones use it to support larger batteries.
Apple’s first model to be sold without a SIM card tray nearly everywhere is the iPhone 17e. The only country where units are available with a card is China.
While originally only available on flagship smartphones, eSIM support has filtered down to more affordable models in recent years. That likely factored into the timing of Capitec Connect’s eSIM rollout.
Steyn previously told MyBroadband the bank was waiting for its clients and the phones that they used to be ready for eSIMs.
“We can see exactly which phones our clients use on our network and on the Capitec app,” Steyn explained.
“As the adoption of eSIM is increasing in South Africa, we feel that the time is right now to also offer this to our clients.”
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