eSIM help for South Africa
Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home, switch it on when you land, and if anything goes wrong, write to contact@baobabsim.com with your order link. The QR code appears on your order page right after payment, and the store emails you the link.
- Installed before you fly
- Nothing to RICA
- Full refund if it cannot be made to work
The short answer
After landing, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and turn data roaming on for that line only. If the eSIM does not work and we cannot fix it, you get a full refund.
Checked on September 30, 2026
What do you need?
Install the eSIM
Scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you fly.
OpenSwitch it on after landing
The data line, the roaming switch, and your own number.
OpenData roaming
Why these plans need it, and how to keep it off your home line.
OpenNot connecting
What to check first when the phone shows no data.
OpenRefunds
The refund promise, and how to find your order page.
OpenCheck your phone
Whether your phone takes an eSIM at all.
Open
Set up your eSIM in four steps
Check your phone
Dial *#06# on the phone you will travel with.
Choose a plan
Choose the days and the data, then pay by card on BaobabSIM. The total, tax included, is shown before you pay.
Scan the QR code
Scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you fly and keep the eSIM line switched off.
Switch it on in South Africa
Install at home on Wi-Fi. After landing, turn the eSIM line on and turn data roaming on for that line.
Side by side
Where you get it
- eSIM from this site
- Online, before you fly
- Local SIM card
- A shop or airport counter, after landing
Registration
- eSIM from this site
- None
- Local SIM card
- RICA, with your passport
Number
- eSIM from this site
- Your own stays on WhatsApp
- Local SIM card
- A new South African number
Time to online
- eSIM from this site
- Minutes after landing
- Local SIM card
- As long as the queue
Made for
- eSIM from this site
- Trips up to a month or so
- Local SIM card
- Months, local transactions
APN settings: only if data will not flow
The store does not publish an APN for these plans. If mobile data does not start after the checks in the not connecting guide, do not type in an APN from another network's page: write to the store's support with your order page link, and it tells you what to set.
Coverage in South Africa: what to expect
The regulator reported 4G population coverage of 99.5% and 5G of 58% in 2025. The eSIM roams on a South African partner network, so it uses that network's coverage: strong in the cities and along the main routes, thinner in the deep bush and over some mountain passes, where offline maps help.
Registration: what you can skip
RICA registration covers South African SIM cards and eSIMs. A foreign line roaming in the country is outside it, so there is no shop visit, no passport copy and nothing to register.
Troubleshooting
The QR code will not scan
Check you are on Wi-Fi, then scan again from another screen, or enter the details by hand from the order page. Some phones need the eSIM added from the settings, not the camera.
The eSIM installed, but there is no signal
Make sure the eSIM line is switched on, then turn airplane mode on and off. Give the phone a few minutes to find the network.
There is signal, but no data
Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line, and choose the eSIM line for mobile data. Both are needed on these plans.
Data works, then stops
Check whether the plan's data or days have run out on your order page. Once the allowance is used, the network may slow or stop mobile data until the plan ends.
My phone keeps using my home SIM for data
Set mobile data to the eSIM line, and turn off switching mobile data between lines, so the phone never falls back to your home line.
I deleted the eSIM by mistake
Write to the store's support with your order page link before you try anything else. A QR code can usually be installed only once.
Still no connection after all the checks
Write to contact@baobabsim.com while you are in South Africa, with your order link and what the phone shows. If the eSIM cannot be made to work and the store cannot fix it, you get a full refund.
Refunds: what can be refunded
The store refunds in full an eSIM that is not delivered, or one that does not work and cannot be fixed. A working eSIM you no longer want is not refunded, and neither is one your phone cannot install.
If the eSIM does not work and we cannot fix it, you get a full refund.
The two things that trip people up
- The QR code is personal. Anyone with it can install your eSIM, and most phones install a code only once. Save it before you close the order page; the store’s email holds the link to that page.
- This is a roaming plan. It connects on a South African partner network, so data roaming must be on for the eSIM line. It is prepaid, so roaming cannot add charges to it.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from.
Still stuck?
Orders, QR codes and refunds are handled by BaobabSIM support. Write with the link to your order page and your phone model.
contact@baobabsim.com
Quick answers
When do the plan's days start?
The store does not publish a start rule for these plans. Install the eSIM within 30 days of buying it, and write to contact@baobabsim.com before installing if your trip starts later.
Which network will the eSIM use in South Africa?
The plans are Africa regional plans, so the eSIM roams on a South African partner network and your phone shows that network's name. Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line when you land.
Is there anything to register in South Africa?
No. RICA registration covers South African SIM cards and eSIMs; a foreign line roaming there is outside it. There is nothing to register and no counter to visit.
Do I need to keep data roaming off on my home SIM?
Yes. Leave data roaming off on your home line so your home carrier cannot charge you, and turn it on only for the eSIM line.
Can I use WhatsApp on my own number?
Yes. WhatsApp keeps your number and uses the eSIM's data.
Who answers if something goes wrong?
The store where you paid. Write to its support with your order page link.