Vodacom international roaming packs
and when an eSIM costs less.

How the Travel Data Bundles are structured

Vodacom sells Travel Data Bundles in a single family. Each bundle is either 1GB or 5GB, and both sizes are valid for 7 days. The bundles cover use in more than 200 destinations.

Qualification depends on the destination list. If a country does not appear in the Travel Data Bundle drop-down list, it does not qualify for the bundle and standard international roaming rates apply. In-flight and cruise ship satellite networks also fall outside the bundles and are charged at standard roaming rates. Vodacom advises switching data off on planes and ships for this reason.

Adding a bundle, paying for it and running out

Travel Data Bundles are open to all Vodacom contract, prepaid and top-up customers. The charge is a fixed bundle fee that depends on the bundle chosen and the country visited. Prepaid and top-up customers must hold enough airtime while travelling for the bundle to be allocated; if the airtime is not there, out-of-bundle rates apply.

Activation is by USSD or app. Dial 135130# or open the VodaPay App, choose Buy, then International roaming, then Travel data bundle. When a bundle runs out and data use continues, a bundle of the same size is allocated automatically. Notifications warn when a bundle is about to run out, and usage can be tracked in the VodaPay App. Customer care on 082135 can check whether roaming is active on a line.

Pairing the home SIM with a data-only eSIM

Slashtel sells prepaid data-only travel eSIMs for 190+ countries. The home SIM stays in the phone for calls, texts and bank codes, while the eSIM carries mobile data. That split suits a traveller who wants to keep the South African number reachable for bank codes and messages without spending the data allowance on them. The eSIM connects to local networks with automatic network selection, and it is installed by QR code before the trip and switched on when you land. A data-only eSIM has no phone number, so calls and texts stay on the home SIM or go over internet apps.

Before buying a Vodacom bundle, check the destination against the table on this page, which compares each operator pack with live data eSIM prices for the same trip. Where the eSIM costs less for the destinations you need, keep the SIM for voice and codes and run data on the eSIM. For the wider picture, see roaming from South Africa.