Cheapest 5G smartphones in South Africa — with prices from R2,199

South African mobile network operators continue to invest billions in their networks to expand and improve their coverage, including their 5G networks.
As a result, 5G coverage in the country has expanded significantly, making the technology more accessible.
However, the pricing of 5G-capable devices presented a barrier to using the technology.
This isn’t necessarily the case anymore, as South Africans can buy several 5G-enable smartphones for under R6,100, with some devices priced as low as R2,199.
MyBroadband scoured online retailers in South Africa to find the most affordable 5G-enabled smartphones on offer.
The cheapest option is the ZTE Blade A72 5G with 64GB of storage and 4GB RAM for R2,199 from Makro.
The offer marks a significant reduction in the minimum price point for buying a 5G smartphone. In previous MyBroadband comparisons, the most affordable options were priced at R3,499 and R3,599.
South Africans can grab another 5G-capable smartphone — the Hisense H50s 5G — from Bob Shop for less than the cheapest devices we found in the past.
At R3,399, the Hisense H50s 5G features 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and a 1,080p display.
Takealot sells several affordable 5G smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G, Samsung Galaxy A22 5G, and Nokia G42 5G, for R3,399, R3,699, and R4,299, respectively.
It should be noted that the Nokia G42 5G sold by MTN is locked to MTN’s network.
Similarly, the Tecno Spark 10 5G from Takealot for R4,299 is a Vodacom deal and locked to its network.
The most expensive option listed is Samsung’s Galaxy A34 5G from Takealot for R6,099.
It has 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, and a large 5,000mAh battery. It is also the only option listed that features an optical under-display fingerprint scanner.
Ten of the cheapest 5G smartphones you can buy in South Africa are listed below with specs and pricing.
ZTE Blade A72 5G 64GB — R2,199 (Makro)
ZTE Blade A72 5G | |
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OS | Android 11 |
Display | 6.52-inch 1,600 x 720-pixel LCD with 90Hz refresh rate |
CPU | MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 |
Storage | 64GB |
RAM | 4GB |
Rear camera | 13MP + 2MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 5MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi (version not specified), Bluetooth (version not specified) |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 4,000mAh |
Dimensions | 164 x 75.5 x 9.2mm (211g) |
Hisense H50s 5G 128GB — R3,399 (Bob Shop)
Hisense H50s 5G | |
---|---|
OS | Android |
Display | 6.78-inch 2,460 x 1080-pixel LCD with 60Hz refresh rate |
CPU | MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 |
Storage | 128GB |
RAM | 8GB |
Rear camera | 48MP + 5MP + 2MP +2MP |
Front camera | 16MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, fast charging (speed not specified) |
Samsung A13 5G 64GB — R3,699 (Takealot)
Samsung Galaxy A13 5G | |
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OS | Android 13 |
Display | 6.5-inch 1,600 x 720-pixel LCD with 90Hz refresh rate |
CPU | MediaTek MT6833 Dimensity 700 |
Storage | 64GB |
RAM | 4GB |
Rear camera | 50MP + 2MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 5MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 15W fast charging |
Dimensions | 164.5 x 76.5 x 8.8mm (195g) |
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G 64GB — R3,999 (Takealot)
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G | |
---|---|
OS | Android 13 |
Display | 6.6-inch 2,400 x 1080-pixel LCD with 90Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Mediatek Dimensity 700 |
Storage | 64GB |
RAM | 4GB |
Rear camera | 48MP + 5MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 8MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 15W fast charging |
Dimensions | 167.2 x 76.4 x 9.0mm (203g) |
Nokia G42 5G 128GB — R4,299 (Takealot)*
Nokia G42 5G | |
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OS | Android 13 |
Display | 6.56-inch 1,612 x 720-pixel LCD with 90Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Qualcomm SM4350-AC Snapdragon 480+ 5G |
Storage | 128GB |
RAM | 4GB |
Rear camera | 50MP + 2MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 8MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 20W fast charging |
Dimensions | 165 x 75.8 x 8.6mm (194g) |
*The price of R4,299 is an MTN promotion on Takealot. The device is locked to MTN’s network. |
TECNO Spark 10 5G 64GB — R4,299 (Takealot)*
TECNO Spark 10 5G | |
---|---|
OS | HIOS 12.6 |
Display | 6.6-inch 1,612 x 720-pixel LCD with 90Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Mediatek Dimensity 6020 |
Storage | 64GB |
RAM | 4GB |
Rear camera | 50MP |
Front camera | 8MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5 (version not specified), Bluetooth (version not specified) |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 18W fast charging |
Dimensions | 164.4 x 75.5 x 8.4mm |
*The price of R4,299 is a Vodacom promotion on Takealot. The device is locked to Vodacom’s network. |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 128GB — R4,799 (Incredible)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 | |
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OS | MIUI 13 |
Display | 6.7-inch 2,400 x 1080-pixel OLED with 120Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Qualcomm SM4375 Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 |
Storage | 128GB |
RAM | 4GB |
Rear camera | 48MP + 8MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 13MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 33W fast charging |
Dimensions | 165.9 x 76.2 x 8.0mm (188g) |
Motorola Edge 20 Lite 5G 128GB — R5,399 (Connected Devices)
Motorola Edge 20 Lite 5G | |
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OS | Android 13 |
Display | 6.7-inch 2,400 x 1080-pixel OLED with 90Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Mediatek Dimensity 720 |
Storage | 128GB |
RAM | 6GB |
Rear camera | 108MP + 8MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 32MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 30W fast charging |
Dimensions | 165.9 x 76 x 8.3mm (185g) |
Xiaomi Poco X5 5G 128GB — R5,399 (Connected Devices)
Xiaomi Poco X5 5G | |
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OS | MIUI 13 for Poco |
Display | 6.67-inch 2,400 x 1080-pixel OLED with 120Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G |
Storage | 128GB |
RAM | 6GB |
Rear camera | 48MP + 8MP + 2MP |
Front camera | 13MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 33W fast charging |
Dimensions | 165.9 x 76.2 x 8.0mm (189g) |
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G 128GB — R6,099 (Connected Devices)
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G | |
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OS | Android 14 |
Display | 6.6-inch 2,340 x 1,080-pixel OLED with 120Hz refresh rate |
CPU | Mediatek Dimensity 1080 |
Storage | 128GB |
RAM | 6GB |
Rear camera | 48MP + 8MP + 8MP |
Front camera | 13MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Ports | USB-C |
Cellular | 5G |
Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint scanner |
Battery and charging | 5,000mAh, 25W fast charging |
Dimensions | 161.3 x 78.1 x 8.2mm (195g) |