Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      MVNO boom is reshaping South Africa’s mobile market

      12 June 2025

      South African law is failing gig-economy workers

      12 June 2025

      MultiChoice’s TV empire shrinks – but its ‘side hustles’ are holding strong

      12 June 2025

      MultiChoice is bleeding subscribers

      11 June 2025
    • World

      Qualcomm shows off new chip for AI smart glasses

      11 June 2025

      Trump tariffs to dim 2025 smartphone shipments

      4 June 2025

      Shrimp Jesus and the AI ad invasion

      4 June 2025

      Apple slams EU rules as ‘flawed and costly’ in major legal pushback

      2 June 2025

      Mark Zuckerberg has finally found a use for his metaverse

      30 May 2025
    • In-depth

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025

      South Africa unveils big state digital reform programme

      12 May 2025

      Is this the end of Google Search as we know it?

      12 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025

      TCS | Sentiv, and the story behind the buyout of Altron Nexus

      3 June 2025

      TCS | Signal restored: Unpacking the Blue Label and Cell C turnaround

      28 May 2025
    • Opinion

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025

      Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

      29 May 2025

      Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

      14 April 2025

      Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

      9 April 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » News » Cell C gets Telkom ads removed

    Cell C gets Telkom ads removed

    By Duncan McLeod21 August 2013
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    The new Telkom Mobile logo

    Telkom Mobile has agreed to amend an advertising campaign for its new, low-cost Sim-Sonke prepaid calling plan after rival Cell C lodged an objection about it at the Advertising Standards Authority.

    Cell C took exception to the fact that although Telkom Mobile offers on-network calls for 29c/minute, this offer is “only available in a very narrow range of situations, which are not explained in the advertising”.

    The 29c rate is only available for Telkom-to-Telkom calls and all calls to other mobile networks or fixed lines are charged at 75c/minute. Although Cell C conceded that 75c is “very cheap”, the Telkom Mobile ad is “misleading as it implies that the rate is set at 29c”.

    “The 29c rate is only available in limited areas where Telkom works off its own network as opposed to piggybacking on other networks to provide coverage,” it said. “The 29c call rate is only available if customers buy a new Sim-Sonke card, and not existing prepaid customers.”

    Cell C argued, too, that the Sim-Sonke product does not have some basic services such as data, SMS/MMS bundles and BlackBerry services. “Given that customers expect [these] as part and parcel of any cellphone package, their non-availability is a material condition that should be included in the advertising.”

    In response, Telkom Mobile said Cell C had “unfortunately relied on an advertisement that did not reflect the on-net and off-net rates or the limitation on the 29c prepaid call rate”.

    The company undertook to amend its advertising by ensuring that provision is made for both 29c on-net and the 75c off-net rate together with the details of the limitations. It also submitted another example where this information was included.

    It denied Cell C’s allegation that its 29c call rate offer is available to new customers only or that existing customers will have to change their numbers when using the Sim-Sonke card. Existing prepaid customers can simply migrate to the Sim-Sonke product without having to change their number, it said.

    It also said that it does offer data bundles and BlackBerry services on the product as a value-added service, and Cell C had provided no evidence to support its allegation to the contrary.

    Because Telkom Mobile undertook to amend its advertising, the Advertising Standards Authority intends to take no further action.  — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media



    ASA Cell C Telkom Telkom Mobile
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleSKA: bringing astronomy to Africa
    Next Article Neotel launches uncapped LTE

    Related Posts

    MVNO boom is reshaping South Africa’s mobile market

    12 June 2025

    Watch | Lunga Siyo on Telkom’s big growth plans

    11 June 2025

    Capex clash: Vodacom, MTN and Telkom battle over network supremacy

    11 June 2025
    Company News

    Building a cyber-resilient culture from the boardroom to the front lines

    12 June 2025

    How South Africa’s municipalities are finally getting smart

    12 June 2025

    Ransomware roulette: pay up or power through?

    11 June 2025
    Opinion

    Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

    2 June 2025

    South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

    2 June 2025

    Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

    29 May 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.