Capitec Connect: Data & Airtime That Does Not Expire

Data is super expensive in South Africa, as seen in the #DataMustFall movement which didn’t yield any relief for the many South Africans that rely on data daily. That is until now, with Capitec Connect.

Capitec is doing something that hasn’t been done before, the bank is partnering with MTN to bring data and airtime that does not expire. I am pretty sure that you have experienced buying data/airtime where you have just a few days to use it and it expires before you use all of it. It happens to me all the time, with both Vodacom and Telkom.

To enjoy the data/airtime that does not expire, you just need to be able to use the sim at least once 6 months. The service offers customers 100 megabytes at R4.50, or R45 per gigabyte, and rates remain flat regardless of the quantity bought.

This new service could be a game changer, something that lacks in the industry right now, something a lot of Suth Africans would be willing to looking at and trying out.

“South Africans have been complaining about the cost of data. It’s expensive and complicated. Bundle pricing, off-peak and peak rates, and the fact that your data expired are all things that make no sense,” said Capitec CEO, Gerrie Fourie. 

“We’re changing this by giving our clients access to a mobile solution that is simpler to understand, much more affordable and can be recharged easily on our digital channels.”

“Our vision is to bring connectivity to all. We want to help create opportunity for everyone to be able to connect with access to affordable data and digital banking anywhere, anytime.”

So how do you take advantage of Capitec Connect?

Capitec Connect SIM cards are available at the bank’s branches and you can only use this service if you are a Capitec customer – that means you need an active Global One account.

Airtime and data bundles can only be purchased via Capitec bank’s app, internet banking and USSD). As a client of Capitec, you can have up to 5 SIM cards that will be linked to your profile.

This is a prepaid product, which means that Capitec Connect does not allow international roaming. International calls and data rates are very expensive, so it makes sense to rather buy a SIM in the country you are travelling to, that will keep your costs lower.