MTN Confirms Price Hikes as Operating Costs Rise in South Africa
The company says the decision is necessary to maintain service quality amid rising operational pressures, including network vandalism, battery and generator theft, higher electricity prices, and broader macroeconomic challenges.
MTN South Africa has announced that it will implement a series of consumer contract price adjustments beginning 1 February 2025, resulting in an average monthly bill increase of 4.4%. The company says the decision is necessary to maintain service quality amid rising operational pressures, including network vandalism, battery and generator theft, higher electricity prices, and broader macroeconomic challenges. Despite these factors, MTN says it has worked to keep the increases as minimal as possible.
As part of the adjustment, subscription fees will rise by an average of 8.3%, while out-of-bundle voice rates will increase by 7% on average. USSD rates will increase from R0.20 to R0.22 per 20-second session, and itemised billing—where applicable—will rise by R1 to R20 per month. However, MTN confirmed that insurance fees, device fees, out-of-bundle data rates, SMS and MMS charges, and add-on bundle fees will remain unchanged.
To provide added value, airtime-based Flexi and Mega Flex plans will receive 18% more airtime as part of their monthly subscription. Several standardised usage tariffs will also remain unchanged, including out-of-bundle data at R0.29 per MB, local SMS at R0.35, local MMS at R0.70, international MMS at R2.50, and international SMS at R1.69.
The new out-of-bundle usage rates will take effect on 1 February 2025, while the revised subscription fees—along with updated airtime values for applicable plans—will apply from each customer’s bill run date. Bill run dates typically fall on the 1st, 12th, 17th, or 27th of February 2025.
MTN says the adjustments are essential to sustaining network stability and improving service quality as customer demand grows. The company emphasised its commitment to delivering value, innovation and reliable connectivity as it marks 30 years of operations, with a renewed focus on meeting evolving customer needs in the decades ahead.
MTN has begun notifying customers of the changes via SMS and email between 12 December 2024 and 29 January 2025. The operator also confirmed that device instalment payments will not be affected by the increase.
Customers who sign up for new contracts, upgrades or additional lines in January 2025 will still be subject to the new pricing when it comes into effect. MTN encourages users to take advantage of the MTN App to manage billing limits, monitor usage, purchase bundles and access statements or invoices. Monthly bills will also continue to be delivered via email or post.
