Vodacom's 5GB for R99 offer raises eyebrows on socials

VODACOM CEO Sitholizwe Mdlalose asserted that South African consumers can purchase 5GB of mobile data for just R99, igniting a storm of criticism on social media platforms.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

Addressing the Communications and Digital Technologies Portfolio Committee, Mdlalose highlighted a significant drop in data prices, reporting a reduction of nearly 50% over the last two years.

"One can look at that and see the retail price of that in 2019 was R149 for one gigabyte of data. As we have become more efficient, as the spectrum has been deployed and given, and as new technologies have come on, you can see the progression in the headline retail rate," he said.

"You can see a very dramatic drop, especially post the spectrum allocation, where one gigabyte of data at a retail rate in 2021 was R85.

"Today, you can buy five gigabytes for R99. Essentially, that gives a view of how the rate has moved over time," Mdlalose said.