12 May 2025
In a significant move to accelerate the adoption of 4G technology across the nation, MTN South Africa has announced plans to make 1.2 million 4G-enabled smartphones available to its prepaid subscribers for an exceptionally low price of just 99 rand (approximately $5.42) each.
The initiative directly addresses the high cost of compatible smartphones, which has been identified as a major barrier to customers migrating to faster, more modern networks.
While the Global Mobile Phone Association (GSMA) acknowledges that the average selling price of smartphones has decreased significantly in recent years, largely due to the influx of devices priced under $100 from brands like Tecno, Itel, and Infinix, they note that these prices still remain out of reach for some consumers.
MTN's program will be rolled out in three distinct phases. The initial phase will see 5,000 ‘carefully selected’ customers, chosen based on their usage patterns, spending habits, and tenure with the network, receive 4G smartphones. This phase will primarily target subscribers in Gauteng province. The second phase will expand the program nationwide, reaching over 130,000 customers. The final and largest phase will target more than 1.1 million MTN customers across South Africa.
This initiative comes as the South African government prepares to phase out older 2G and 3G networks by the end of 2027, favouring the more advanced 4G and 5G technologies. MTN South Africa has already committed to shutting down its 3G network by 31 December 2025, a full year ahead of the government's original deadline. The operator is aiming to proactively accelerate the migration to newer mobile technologies to ensure that subscribers are not left without network access as older technologies are retired.
The transition to 4G is also viewed as a significant economic opportunity for MTN South Africa. Broadband networks offer improved connection quality and higher speeds, which are expected to drive a substantial increase in data consumption. This is particularly true for data-intensive activities such as video streaming, online gaming, video conferencing, and cloud services. According to the GSMA, monthly mobile data consumption per subscriber in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rise from 1.9 GB in 2023 to 8 GB by 2030. This projected increase in data usage could translate into higher data service revenues for operators, thereby boosting overall revenue.
