R85 is now well entrenched as the headline price for 1GB ad hoc prepaid data in South Africa, with Cell C on Wednesday saying it has cut its rate to that price, matching recent cuts from rivals Vodacom and MTN.

Though many consumers pay significantly less than R85/GB – by buying data bundles – the headline price remains important, especially for the lower end of the end where affordability of large data bundles is a challenge.

The price changes are effective immediately, Cell C said on Thursday, and bring extra value, so the effective rate can be as low as R85 for 3GB.

“The enhanced data bundles will not only see a reduction in price but an increase on some of the allocated data on certain bundles purchased,” the operator said.

Cell C, which is in the process of switching off its mobile radio access network, uses MTN’s infrastructure to provide services to its prepaid user base under a wide-ranging roaming agreement.

“Customers will now be able to get their hands on a 1GB, 30-day bundle for only R85,” Cell C said, adding that the price includes an extra 1GB for use late at night when the network is quiet. Plus, users who buy the data on the Cell C app or portal get another 1GB of anytime data.

The company has also introduced a new range of 30-day data bundles. Customers can now get 200MB of data for R29 instead of the previous 150MB at this price. This 30-day bundle can also be purchased on the Cell C App or portal for an extra 200MB free anytime data giving customers 400MB anytime data at R29. — (c) 2021 NewsCentral Media