Cheapest 5G smartphones in South Africa — prices from R3,599

South Africa plans to switch off its 2G and 3G networks, and while there are numerous affordable smartphone options with support for 4G, cheap 5G-enabled smartphones are far less abundant.

MyBroadband scoured online retailer catalogues in South Africa to find the most affordable 5G-enabled smartphones.

While South Africa’s plan to switch off the legacy networks has hit a snag, it is still in effect. Communications minister Mondli Gungubele set a deadline of 30 September 2023 to finalise the next-generation spectrum policy.

Thereafter, South Africa will likely gradually shut down 2G and 3G services and networks.

Those looking for a 5G-enabled smartphone in South Africa can buy one from R3,599.

Takealot sells the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G on an MTN promotion for this price. However, the device is locked to MTN’s network.

It features 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, and a 90Hz, 6.5-inch, 1,600 x 720-pixel LCD.

For R700 more, South Africans can buy the Hisense Infinity H60 5G from Takealot. It offers double the storage of the A13, 4GB of RAM, and a 6.6-inch FHD OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Other notable and affordable 5G devices include the Tecno Spark 10 5G, Huawei P40 Lite 5G, and Samsung Galaxy A34 5G, with prices up to R5,499.99.

Below are ten of the cheapest 5G-enabled smartphones available to South African customers.

Samsung Galaxy A13 5G 64GB* — R3,599 (Takealot)

Hisense Infinity H60 5G 128GB — R4,299 (Takealot)

Tecno Spark 10 5G 64GB — R4,999 (Bob Shop)

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G 128GB — R5,499 (Connected Devices)

Honor Magic4 Lite 5G 128GB — R5,499 (Connected Devices)

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G 128GB — R5,499.99 (Edgars)

Huawei P40 Lite 5G 128GB — R5,795 (Takealot)

Samsung Galaxy A34 128GB — R5,890 (Bob Shop)

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G 128GB — R5,999 (Bob Shop)

Nokia X10 5G 128GB — R6,499 (Takealot)

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