Install the eSIM before you fly
The short answer
Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi before you fly: open the order page the store emailed you, scan its QR code, and follow the phone's two steps. Then leave the line switched off until you land.
Checked on September 30, 2026
Install on Wi-Fi at home, before you fly, and keep the line switched off until you land. The install takes about two minutes on a recent phone.
The steps
- Open the order page (the store emailed you the link right after payment; save it somewhere safe).
- On the phone you will travel with, open Settings and choose the option to add an eSIM or a mobile plan. On iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service, Add eSIM. On Android: Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, Add eSIM.
- Scan the QR code shown on the order page.
- Confirm the download and label the new line, for example “South Africa”.
- Leave the line switched off. Turn it on after you land, as in Switch it on after landing.
If the QR code fails
- Check the Wi-Fi is stable and scan again from the order page, not a screenshot.
- On iPhone, “No SIM restrictions” must be shown in Settings, General, About. A carrier-locked phone cannot install an eSIM.
- If the phone says the code was already used, do not delete anything. Write to contact@baobabsim.com with your order link.
What to keep
Keep the order page link and the QR code somewhere you can reach from the phone, since most phones install a code only once. The code is personal: anyone holding it can install your eSIM.
Questions
Where is my QR code?
It appears on your order page right after payment, and the store emails you the link to that page. The code is personal: anyone holding it can install the eSIM, and most phones install a code only once.
Do I need Wi-Fi to install?
Yes. The phone downloads the eSIM profile over the internet, so install on a stable Wi-Fi connection before you fly rather than on airport data.
Can I install the eSIM on two phones?
No. One QR code installs one eSIM on one phone. If you delete it from the phone, ask the store before scanning it again.
How long do I have to install it?
Install the eSIM within 30 days of buying it. If your trip starts later, write to contact@baobabsim.com before installing and the store will confirm when the validity days start.
More help
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.
Data roaming in South Africa, explained
These plans roam, so data roaming on the eSIM line is what lets them connect. Switch it on there, and keep it off your home line.
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