Internet
Yes
Calls
No
SMS
No
4G
Yes
Works only on unlocked eSIM-supported devices — check your phone compatibility before purchase
Most packages do not include calls or SMS
Choose one of three methods:
Scan QR code
Install via 'Quick Install' button
Manual setup through phone settings
Use the package within 3 months from purchase
Local (one country), Regional (multiple countries), Global (many countries)
Not available for Sicily
South Africa is a country of long distances: Johannesburg to Cape Town is several hours by air, and a typical route takes in cities, wine valleys, the coast and safari parks. From Kazakhstan you get there with connections, so internet is needed right after landing: a transfer, a map, contact with your host. The eSIM profile is installed at home, and in South Africa you only switch on data.
You can buy an eSIM for South Africa online right on this page from 6 500 ₸: choose a data plan, pay by card and get the QR code within minutes. An eSIM is a digital SIM card — it installs on your phone with no plastic card and no visit to a phone shop.
The eSIM connects to local mobile networks, so you have data wherever they have coverage — Cape Town and Johannesburg and the rest of the country.
Roaming in South Africa with a Kazakh carrier is usually far more expensive, and roaming data runs out fast. With a Funsim eSIM you pay a fixed price for a data package and keep your home SIM in the phone for calls and bank SMS — roaming on it can stay off.
If your phone does not support eSIM, you can buy a regular physical SIM card with data for South Africa at a Funsim point of sale: at Almaty and Shymkent airports, or at our offices in Almaty — 130/1 Abay St and 1 Pozharsky St. Handy if you remember about the internet right before departure.
A trip around South Africa almost always has several stages of different character: a city, a road trip in a rental car, coastal villages, a reserve. One profile covers the whole country wherever there is coverage, so you do not need to buy a SIM in every city. If your route includes Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia or Botswana, look at the regional plans and the coverage list on the plan page.
Your main SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank SMS, while the internet runs through the eSIM. Most plans have no voice or SMS, so messengers are the easiest way to reach lodges, guides and drivers, especially WhatsApp, which is used very widely in South Africa. Roaming from Kazakhstan is usually much more expensive, and buying a local SIM after a long flight takes time.
| Criterion | Funsim eSIM | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to set up | At home, before the flight | Usually on arrival | After landing, in an operator shop |
| What to do in South Africa | Switch on data for the eSIM | Check the operator's terms | Find a shop and register a SIM |
| Cost of data | Fixed package, see plans above | Usually much more expensive | Depends on the operator's tariff |
| Home number | Stays for calls and the bank | Stays | Needs a second SIM or a swap |
| Several cities in one trip | One profile for the country | Depends on the operator's terms | One operator, but buying takes time |
In cities and along main highways the network works well, while in reserves, desert areas and mountains it can be weak or absent. These are the places and routes where internet is needed most often.
The country's biggest hub: many international flights land here, and from here people continue to Cape Town, Durban and the safari regions. Internet is needed to check your connection, order a taxi through an app and contact your host. In an unfamiliar city at night it is easier to call a taxi through an app than to look for one on the street.
A city by the ocean with a waterfront, museums and a cable car up Table Mountain. The cable car closes in strong wind, so check its status online before you go. Coverage in the city is solid, and taxis, table bookings and tickets are easy to arrange by phone.
A tour of the Cape Peninsula usually takes a whole day: viewpoints, penguins at Boulders Beach and coastal roads. Internet is needed for navigation, park entry times and a table booking. On long stretches by the ocean signal can be weaker, so an offline map is useful.
Wine estates a couple of hours' drive from Cape Town. Tastings and lunches are usually booked in advance, and people move between estates by taxi or with a driver. Internet is needed for booking, translating menus and calling a taxi back if you are not driving.
A town known for whale watching from the shore, usually from about June to November. You need a map, boat tour times and the weather forecast, because wind and waves affect trips to sea. The coast on the way to Cape Town is well covered.
A coastal road through Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma National Park. There are many stops: beaches, lagoons, forest and viewpoints. Coverage on the road is generally good, but forested and coastal valleys have weak spots, so it is best to download the route offline.
Kruger National Park and the mountain viewpoints of Mpumalanga, including Blyde River Canyon. Coverage in the park is uneven, and private reserves more often rely on lodges' internal networks. Save the lodge's contacts and booking in advance, and download the route map before entering.
Long routes through the semi-desert Karoo and the Drakensberg mountains, where villages are far apart. Signal can vanish for long stretches, and fuel stations and shops are few. Download the map, fill up in advance and keep spare water and charge.
Many services work as they do at home, but a few apps are especially common in South Africa.
One of the most familiar ways to call a car in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The price and driver are visible in advance, and you pay by card. Register at home so that the code reaches your main SIM.
The second mass-market taxi service. Useful when Uber takes long to find a car or you want a different price. Convenient for airport rides and at night.
Works across the country, shows car routes and opening hours. Download an offline map for the Garden Route, the Karoo and mountain areas.
Shows traffic and road events in real time, which helps in big cities. It is handy to keep as a second navigation option.
The most used messenger: lodges, guides, drivers and hosts communicate through it. It works over the eSIM's internet, and you can call over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Delivery services from restaurants and shops in big cities. Handy when you do not want to look for an open place after a long day. It is better to give the address with a landmark.
For finding hotels, guesthouses and lodges. Booking confirmations and host contacts stay at hand even without Wi-Fi.
Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. You can see this in the settings or on the manufacturer's site.
Choose a plan for South Africa above and pay by card on the site. No passport is needed to buy. If you also go to neighbouring countries, look at the regional plans.
Install the eSIM at home by QR code, the quick-install button or manually while you still have Wi-Fi. That way you will have internet right after landing.
After landing, select the eSIM as the mobile data line and switch on data roaming for that line.
Keep your main SIM for calls and bank SMS, but turn off mobile data on it. If the package runs out, buy extra data on the site.
Before a reserve or a long drive, download offline maps and save the booking with the lodge's contacts on your phone, because there may be no signal.
