MTN slashes prepaid data prices by 20%

JOHANNESBURG | MTN has reduced its prepaid data prices by 20% and introduced new multi-day data packages. The telecommunications company is vying to be the country's dominant local mobile network provider.

• MTN has reduced its prepaid data prices by 20% and introduced new multi-day data packages.
• The telecommunications company is vying to be the country's dominant local mobile network provider.
• Since the 2019 Competition Commission's Data Services Market Inquiry, which found that data prices in the country were excessive, most mobile phone service providers have been slashing data prices.
• MTN customers will be able to purchase 30GB of monthly data for R299 beginning Thursday.
• 21GB weekly data package has also been reduced to R199 from to R249 when purchasing the MTN EverydayGigs.

Since the 2019 Competition Commission's Data Services Market Inquiry, which found that data prices in the country were excessive, most mobile phone service providers have been slashing data prices. MTN is also one of the mobile companies that have reduced data prices, having announced several price reductions over the last three years.

MTN customers will be able to purchase 30GB of monthly data for R299 beginning Thursday. The same bundle was going for R349 prior. 21GB weekly data package has also been reduced to R199 from to R249 when purchasing the MTN EverydayGigs.

According to the 2019 Competition Commission's Data Services Market Inquiry, the major mobile service providers in the country, MTN and Vodacom had collaborated to make it possible for them to charge exorbitant data prices. The two companies were then required to individually and independently reach an agreement with the commission to reduce data prices or rather face prosecution by the Competition Tribunal.

The 20% data price reduction also includes the new EverydayGig three-day offer of 1.5GB for R39, a seven-day offer of 5GB for R55, and a monthly offer of 15GB for R179.

According to Mapula Bodibe, Chief Consumer Officer at MTN South Africa, the need for internet data has increased due to shifts in most people's and schoolchildren's work and schooling patterns respectively as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. This has made flexible data prices important for customers.