Price, coverage, night data and reliability — fully compared for SA users.
If you've ever looked at your phone bill and wondered whether you're on the right network, you're not alone. Telkom and Vodacom are the two most-compared networks in South Africa — one famous for cheap data, the other for ubiquitous coverage. Here's how they actually stack up.
Telkom is 50–85% cheaper per GB than Vodacom in most bundle tiers. Vodacom wins on rural coverage and network stability. For most people in major cities, Telkom is the better deal.
Here's a direct like-for-like pricing comparison across bundle sizes:
* Telkom bundles include equal parts anytime + Night Surfer data (e.g. 1GB anytime + 1GB night = 2GB total).
Telkom's biggest value trick is their Night Surfer bundles. Every major Telkom data bundle includes an equal amount of night data — valid between midnight and 5am. If you schedule downloads overnight (Netflix episodes, app updates, backups), you effectively double your data for free.
Vodacom does offer a Night Owl add-on, but it's an extra purchase — it's not automatically bundled in the same way.
Telkom's network doesn't reach as far as Vodacom's. In practice, this means:
If you drive regularly between cities or live outside a major metro, Vodacom's coverage premium may well be worth it.
In urban areas, both networks offer solid 4G LTE speeds for everyday use. Vodacom tends to score slightly higher in independent speed tests in metros, but the real-world difference for most users — browsing, streaming, WhatsApp — is negligible.
Telkom gives you more data for less money, and Vodacom gives you the widest, most reliable coverage in the country. Almost every Telkom versus Vodacom decision comes down to whether you value price or reach more, so be honest about where you actually use your phone.
Telkom is consistently one of the cheapest networks per gigabyte, and its bundles include free Night Surfer data that effectively doubles what you get if you can download overnight. For a city based user who is mostly at home or at work, Telkom can cut a monthly data bill by half compared with Vodacom.
Vodacom has the broadest network footprint in South Africa, including strong rural and highway coverage. If you travel often, live outside the major metros, or simply cannot tolerate dropped signal, that reliability is what you are paying the premium for.
Here is how a typical 10GB month looks on each network for a prepaid user.
| Network | Bundle | Price | Effective R/GB |
|---|---|---|---|
Telkom | 20GB total (10 anytime + 10 night) | R99 | R4.95 |
Vodacom | 10GB anytime | R399 | R39.90 |
On paper Telkom is roughly eight times cheaper per gigabyte for a heavy user. The honest catch is that half of that Telkom data only works between midnight and 5am, and Vodacom will hold signal in places Telkom cannot reach. The cheaper bill is real, but only if its coverage and night window suit your life.
Every price and bundle detail on this page is taken directly from the official prepaid pages of Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C and Rain, then cross checked against pricing coverage on mybroadband.co.za and businesstech.co.za. We review the numbers at the start of each month and after any public price change.
DataCheck ZA is independent. We are not owned by any network and we earn nothing when you choose one over another. If something looks out of date, tell us on our contact page and we will recheck it.
Yes, clearly. On cost per gigabyte Telkom is one of the cheapest networks and Vodacom is usually the most expensive. The gap widens further once you count the free Night Surfer data included in Telkom bundles, though that portion only works overnight.
In most cases yes, especially in rural areas and along major routes. Vodacom has the widest network footprint in the country, while Telkom is strongest in cities and larger towns. If reliable signal everywhere matters to you, Vodacom has the edge.
Yes. Number portability is free and your number moves with you. Get a Telkom SIM, start the port with your ID and current number, and the change usually completes within 24 hours. Keep the old SIM active until the switch is done.
Anyone who travels widely, lives outside the metros, or depends on rock solid signal for work. The Vodacom premium buys reach and reliability. If you are mostly in one covered city and want to spend less, Telkom is the stronger value choice.
See live prices from Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C and Rain — sorted by cheapest per GB.
See The Comparison Table →