Data roaming in South Africa, explained
The short answer
Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line and keep it off for your home line. The plan roams on a South African partner network, and prepaid means roaming cannot add charges to the eSIM; roaming charges are a risk only on your home carrier's line.
Checked on September 30, 2026
Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line when you land, and keep it off on your home line. That one setting is the difference between a working trip and a surprising bill.
Why these plans roam
The store sells Africa regional plans for South Africa: the eSIM connects on a South African partner network rather than on a South African number of its own. The phone shows the partner network’s name once connected. Because the plan is prepaid, data on the eSIM line cannot grow the bill; you paid once, at checkout.
The two rules
- eSIM line: data roaming on, mobile data set to this line.
- Home line: data roaming off, data left to the eSIM.
How to switch it on
- iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service, tap the travel line, Data Roaming on.
- Android: Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, tap the travel line, Data roaming on.
If the phone warns about roaming
The warning appears because you are on a foreign network. On the eSIM line it is expected and safe: the plan is prepaid. On the home line, follow the warning: keep roaming off.
Questions
Is data roaming the same as roaming charges?
No. Roaming charges come from your home carrier's rates. The eSIM is prepaid, so once it is paid for, connecting through roaming on its line cannot add a bill. Your home SIM is the line to keep off.
What network name will I see?
A South African partner network of the store, shown in your phone's status bar. The exact partner can change, so the plan is sold as roaming on a South African network rather than on one named carrier.
Do I need roaming on at home, before I fly?
No. Install the eSIM at home, but keep the line switched off and roaming off until you land. Switch it on with roaming on your first minutes in the country.
Why does my home line show a roaming warning?
Because you are abroad. Keep data roaming off on the home line so it cannot use data at your carrier's rates; calls and texts follow your carrier's own abroad rules.
More help
Install the eSIM before you fly
Scan the QR code on Wi-Fi at home and your South Africa eSIM is on the phone before you board. Where to find the code, and what to do if it fails.
Switch the eSIM on after landing
Land in Johannesburg or Cape Town and get online: choose the eSIM for mobile data, turn on data roaming for that line, and keep your own number for calls.
The eSIM is not connecting
No data after landing in South Africa? Check data roaming, the data line setting and the network, in that order. What to try before writing to the store.
Refunds and a lost QR code
The refund promise in plain words, how to find your order page if you lost the link, and why a working eSIM is not refunded after a change of mind.
Check your phone takes an eSIM
iPhone XR onward, Pixel 4 onward, Galaxy S20 onward and most recent phones take an eSIM. The one-minute check, and the models that do not.
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