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

      World Bank set to back South Africa’s big energy grid roll-out

      20 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Sita hits back at critics, promises faster, automated procurement

      20 June 2025

      The transatlantic race to create the first television

      20 June 2025

      Listed: All the MVNOs in South Africa – 2025 edition

      19 June 2025
    • World

      Watch | Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

      19 June 2025

      Trump Mobile dials into politics, profit and patriarchy

      17 June 2025

      Samsung plots health data hub to link users and doctors in real time

      17 June 2025

      Beijing’s chip champions blacklisted by Taiwan

      16 June 2025

      China is behind in AI chips – but for how much longer?

      13 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      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
    • TCS

      TCS+ | AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis

      18 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      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
    • Opinion

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025

      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
    • 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
      • SevenC
      • 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 » MTN to cut data prices pending CompCom settlement

    MTN to cut data prices pending CompCom settlement

    By Duncan McLeod20 March 2020
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp
    MTN South Africa CEO Godfrey Motsa

    MTN South Africa has become the second mobile operator in South Africa, after Vodacom, to announce plans to cut prices for data services following a Competition Commission investigation into the market.

    There are three main areas to the adjustments, namely the affordability of monthly prepaid bundles, the provision of free lifeline data and the zero-rating of data for public-benefit service websites.

    The company has developed what it calls “a set of voluntary undertakings in the form of a social compact to further address the affordability of data services for its customers and MTN remains in discussion with the CompCom on the options to formalise these elective solutions and the implementation thereof”.

    Unlike Vodacom, it has not reached reached a legal settlement with the commission. CEO Godfrey Motsa said he hopes that will happen next week. “In the substance of what is being presented today, there is agreement,” he sad in response to a question from TechCentral. “We still need to formalise the legalities around the agreement.”

    MTN South Africa will provide each of its customers 20MB of free data daily through its instant messaging platform, Ayoba.

    With regard to monthly prepaid data bundles, MTN South Africa will, in April 2020, reduce the price of its monthly bundles of 1GB and below by between 25% and 50%, Specifically, the 1GB monthly bundle will decrease by 33% to R99. MTN South Africa CEO Godfrey Motsa said R99 is the most the company’s customers will pay for 1GB. Other price cut details will be announced before their implementation in mid-April.

    In terms of lifeline data, MTN South Africa will provide each of its customers 20MB of free data daily – or the equivalent of 600MB per customer per month – with immediate effect through its instant messaging platform, Ayoba (the operator’s competitor to WhatsApp). It will also offer “open Internet browsing” between midnight and 5am daily using the 20MB daily allocation, but only from 1 July.

    Ayoba currently has 500 000 customers in South Africa.

    Zero-rated websites

    MTN currently offers zero-rated data access to a range of websites, including those operated by schools and universities.

    These will form part of the broader public-benefit website service. In April 2020, MTN will extend the websites that form part of the public-benefit service to also include health, public universities, vocational colleges, educational resources as well as employment sites based on terms and conditions and criteria defined by MTN and after application and approval from MTN.

    MTN South Africa will offer a monthly 500MB free data access to public-benefit services websites every month, amounting to 6GB/year, for each of MTN the company’s 29 million customers.

    “While there will be pressure on MTN South Africa’s short-term financial performance from these initiatives, MTN believes that the reduction in pricing will be compensated over time by elasticity and customer growth, and growth in prepaid data service revenue will return in a couple of quarters,” it said.

    Motsa said MTN will announce improved contract and prepaid plans in the coming weeks, including for business users.  — © 2020 NewsCentral Media



    Competition Commission Godfrey Motsa MTN top
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleNetflix to reduce streaming quality in Europe for 30 days
    Next Article Vumatel to boost customer line speeds for free

    Related Posts

    Listed: All the MVNOs in South Africa – 2025 edition

    19 June 2025

    MTN CEO edges Vodacom rival in pay stakes – but just barely

    18 June 2025

    TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

    16 June 2025
    Company News

    Making IT happen: how Trade Link gears up to enable SA retail strategies

    20 June 2025

    Why parents choose CambriLearn for online education

    19 June 2025

    Disrupt first, ask questions later – the uncomfortable truth about incident response

    18 June 2025
    Opinion

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    AI and the future of ICT distribution

    16 June 2025

    Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

    13 June 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.