WhatsApp is the preferred mobile communication medium for many South Africans, and it has replaced SMS as the messaging service of choice because of its improved functionality and cost savings.
For many poor South Africans who cannot afford large data bundles, more affordable WhatsApp bundles are very popular.
The price for these WhatsApp data bundles has, however, increased significantly over the past few years.
Even Cell C, which pioneered free WhatsApp data bundles in 2014, was forced to start charging for the service and increased its price steadily in recent years.
WhatsApp data bundle changes
Over the last six months, there were many changes to the WhatsApp data bundle sizes and prices from Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C.
The table below shows how the WhatsApp data bundle have changed recently.
| WhatsApp Bundles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old/New | Network | WhatsApp Data | Validity | Price |
| Daily Bundles | ||||
| Old | Vodacom | 30MB | 1 Day | R2 |
| New | Vodacom | 50MB | 1 Day | R3 |
| Old | MTN | 50MB | 1 Day | R2 |
| New | MTN | 50MB | 1 Day | R2 |
| Old | Vodacom | 200MB | 1 Day | R4 |
| New | Vodacom | 250MB | 1 Day | R5 |
| Weekly Bundles | ||||
| Old | Vodacom | 200MB | 7 Days | R10 |
| New | Vodacom | 250MB | 7 Days | R12 |
| Old | MTN | 250MB | 7 Days | R10 |
| New | MTN | 250MB | 7 Days | R10 |
| Monthly Bundles | ||||
| Old | Cell C | 1.2GB | 30 Days | R17 |
| New | Cell C | 1GB | 30 Days | R20 |
| Old | Vodacom | 1GB | 30 Days | R29 |
| New | Vodacom | 1GB | 30 Days | R35 |
| Old | MTN | 1GB | 30 Days | R30 |
| New | MTN | 1GB | 20 Days | R30 |
