Vodacom’s cheaper international calls: worth R5 per month?

Vodacom has lowered its international call rates by launching its International Calling Plus product, which comes with a R5 per month subscription fee. If you do not pay the subscription fee, you have to pay much higher international call rates.

The decision to charge a subscription to qualify for lower rates did not go down well with consumers.

Comments regarding this decision included:

• “The R5 subscription service is more of a pain than anything else”;
• “It is downright stupid. Vodacom can go take a hike”; and
• “Does Vodacom have some an award system for coming up with dumb-ass specials?”.

Even Cell C CEO Alan Knott-Craig previously slated Vodacom’s decision to charge customers to gain access to lower call rates. Vodacom has “screwed customers long enough. Let them keep their R5″, Knott-Craig said.

Vodacom explains subscription charge

Vodacom spokesperson Richard Boorman explains that their approach is centred on giving consumers choice.

“If they make a lot of international calls then they can choose to pay the monthly fee to access the product, or vice-versa,” said Boorman.

Vodacom’s International Calling Plus product therefore places a floor of R5 on the cost of international calls.

If a person makes many international calls, the subscription will pay off. However, if they only make calls for a few minutes the service will not save them money.

Big savings on international calls

For consumers who make international calls, Vodacom’s International Calling Plus product will bring significant savings, as shown in the table below.

More on call rates

Vodacom slashes international calling rates (at a price)

Cell C slashes int calling rates to 85c per minute

Vodacom 89c international calling promotion

Cell C extends 99c per minute destinations