Power & Connectivity (SIM)

South Africa uses 230V / 50Hz. The main socket is the large three-pin South African Type M, though Type N and Type C are also seen. Bring a travel adapter (a Type M adapter is especially useful), and check that your chargers handle 230V before plugging in.

The main mobile carriers are Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom, all offering prepaid plans; Vodacom and MTN generally have the widest reach for travellers. Prepaid SIMs are sold at airports and carrier stores across the country. To meet RICA registration rules you may need to show your passport and proof of a local address, such as your accommodation.

If your device supports eSIM, buying a travel eSIM before arrival is a convenient alternative to a physical SIM, letting you go online as soon as you land without a shop visit. Check that your phone is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked, and confirm the plan covers South Africa. A local prepaid SIM remains a good value option too.

Wi-Fi is widespread at hotels, cafes and shopping malls across South Africa, and most tourist accommodation offers it free. Speeds vary by location and time of day, so a local SIM is a useful backup. In Cape Town and Johannesburg connections are generally more reliable than in remote areas.

South Africa has an open internet with no general restrictions, so common apps, social media and messaging all work normally. Mobile data is mostly 4G/LTE with 5G in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other cities. In rural and safari areas connections can be slower, and power loadshedding can briefly affect networks, so download offline maps before heading into remote regions.

Uber and Bolt are the main ride apps in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other cities, and are handy for safe, metered rides. A maps app for navigation, a translation app and a weather app cover the essentials. A loadshedding schedule app is also useful for planning around power cuts.

South Africa's country code is +27, so add +27 and drop the leading 0 when dialling from abroad. Many travellers use apps like WhatsApp for voice and video calls over data or Wi-Fi. For emergencies, 112 works from any mobile phone (even without airtime), while police is 10111 and ambulance is 10177.