STOP the rip-off

Data costs in SA are contentious. Why? Which companies are trying to tackle the problem, and how could the regulator help?

In the early days of mobile phones, sending an SMS cost around R2 a message, no matter where in the world you sent it. Today, prepaid SMS prices range from 10c to 50c a message, depending on whether they’re part of a bundle or being paid for individually. That may sound far more reasonable, but when compared to the fall in voice rates (from R3.50 a minute to well under R1 today), the reduction hasn’t been nearly as precipitous. Plus, it still costs R2 to send an international SMS.