We have talked about eSims before here. They are simply virtual SIM cards, and I have had an Econet one for years now.
It took a little while for third-party service providers to come up with killer data plans for travelers using eSIMs.
eSIM Travel Plans:
eSIM travel plans are prepaid data packages offered by local carriers and third-party services, providing a cost-effective way to access mobile networks abroad. As the name suggests, they are tailored for travelers.
These plans often cover multiple countries or entire regions, allowing users to maintain connectivity without swapping SIM cards or managing multiple plans.
For example, some providers offer plans covering all of Europe or even global plans spanning dozens of countries.
A Few Advantages
1. Convenience & Instant Activation
- No need to find a SIM card vendor upon arrival.
- Can purchase and activate a data plan before traveling.
- No physical SIM card swapping required—everything is digital.
2. Avoids Roaming Charges
- Traditional roaming can be extremely expensive, with high per-MB charges.
- eSIM apps offer prepaid data plans that are often much cheaper than roaming.
3. No Need to Find a Local SIM Vendor
- Some countries require ID verification to buy a SIM card, which can be a hassle.
- Language barriers can make purchasing a SIM card difficult.
- Some airports or cities may not have easy access to SIM card vendors.
4. Multiple Country Coverage (Great for Multi-Destination Trips)
- Many eSIM providers offer regional or global plans, allowing seamless travel across multiple countries without switching SIMs.
- A local SIM works only in one country, requiring a new SIM if traveling across borders.
5. Better Pricing in Some Regions
- eSIM providers often negotiate bulk rates with carriers, which can result in cheaper data plans than local SIMs in some regions.
Of course, that’s not to say eSim travel plans always offer the best deal/convenience. Local SIMs can sometimes be a better choice if:
- You’re staying long-term (a month or more) in one country.
- The country has very cheap local data plans.
- You need local phone numbers for calls (some eSIMs are data-only).
The data price difference
Roaming is stupidly expensive, as you might already know. If you are an Econet subscriber and would like to roam in South Africa or the UK, here’s how much you will pay for 1GB:
- SA – $3.03/MB = $3100 for a GB
- UK – $1.93/MB = $1976 for a GB
These tariffs are from Econet’s official website and are for prepaid users. I tried, to no avail, to confirm with customer care if those figures are the up-to-date ones, even Yamurai could not find any roaming tariffs, so we can assume they might be off.
However, the fact that those figures were, at the very least, up to date just a few years ago says a lot about how expensive roaming is.
Still, third-party service eSim travel plan providers are much cheaper than this. Saily, for example, charges this much:
We are looking at $3.99 in SA and $4.49 in the UK for a GB. A far cry from the thousands you would pay if you were roaming. The price per GB falls if you choose bigger packages too.
You know what’s crazy? That 1GB plan for $3.99 in South Africa matches what Econet charges locally for the same amount of data.
You can get 1GB + 8 min valid for 7 days in Zimbabwe as a local Econet subscriber. So, those who are ‘roaming’ using Saily get while in South Africa.
That said, the cheapest option is to grab a local South African number. If you can’t be bothered to go through that then these eSim travel plans are perfect.
In some countries, you will get cheaper plans on these eSim plans than on local SIM cards and so you will have to do your research before travelling and you could end up saving a fortune.
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