Just a week after its CEO, Pieter Engelbrecht, teased the launch of its own mobile service, Shoprite Group has provided details of the launch K’nect Mobile, its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) platform.

Piggybacking on Cell C’s network (and, in turn, MTN’s network through a roaming agreement), K’nect Mobile will be launched next month, offering 100MB of free data for three months with flat call and data rates. It follows the launch by rival Pick n Pay of an MVNO called PnP Mobile, which uses the MTN network directly.

Shoprite, Checkers and Usave customers will be rewarded with free data and airtime, Shoprite Group said in a statement on Tuesday. Data is zero-rated for selected apps and websites in the group’s ecosystem and customers will earn extra if they are Xtra Savings loyalty programme members and recharge via a group-owned Money Market Account.

“K’nect Mobile’s key differentiator is simplicity, with flat call and data rates, and no complicated tiers. Airtime, data bundles and rewards only expire after 60 days, rather than the more common 30-day expiry,” the retail group said in a statement.

Examples of the tariffs available on the K’nect Mobile MVNO include:

50c/minute all day for K’nect to K’nect calls;
99c/minute all day for calls to other networks; and
15c/megabyte for any sized data bundle, up to 1GB.

K’nect Mobile also offers the following “Xtra” rewards:

10% free on recharge;
10% Xtra for Xtra Savings cardholders;
5% Xtra when recharging via Money Market account; and
Double airtime rewards on Xtra Savings airtime deals.

Other rewards include early access to Computicket events and tickets, and 100MB free for three months (six months for Xtra Savings members), subject to in-store Sim-card registration and activation.

“We’ve spent a lot of time understanding how a mobile network can add value to our customers’ lives, and our solution is an easy-to-understand network that offers straightforward call and data rates as well as tangible rewards,” said Shoprite Group GM for financial services Jean Olivier in the statement.