The cheapest smartphones in South Africa that support WhatsApp

MTN recently launched its ultra-cheap Smart S handset in South Africa, which is priced at only R249.

Despite its feature phone-like price tag, the Smart S runs the KaiOS operating system which supports a number of applications, including Facebook, Google Maps, and most importantly WhatsApp.

WhatsApp support is one of the most important features in a low-cost device, as it opens up a world of cheaper communication over a mobile data connection and allows you to connect to friends and family more easily.

Whether you are looking for a cheap device with support for just the basic smartphone app suite or a backup smartphone which you could rely on for a few days, WhatsApp support is a crucial feature to have.

The good news is that budget smartphones are becoming increasingly advanced as their flagship counterparts continue to evolve and high-end features trickle down to the mid-range before eventually filtering down to the low-end of the market.

This means that there are quite a few cheap smartphones which still support crucial functionality such as WhatsApp and other social media apps.

We have listed some of the the cheapest smartphones you can buy in South Africa which support WhatsApp below. Prepaid pricing from Takealot and official operator channels was used in the comparison.

MTN Smart S 3G – R249

Mobicel Astro – R429

STK Storm 2 E Pluz – R610

Samsung Z2 – R649

Invens A2 – R789

Now read: Smartphone speed shootout – R449 Mobicel Astro vs R19,999 Samsung Galaxy S10+