Capitec Connect, South Africa’s largest MVNO, has reached 1.5 million active users and is now offering free voice calls between Connect SIMs – an industry first, and the latest move towards lowering the real cost of staying connected.
For most South Africans, connectivity is not a given. Prepaid users have long paid more per megabyte than contract clients, on data that expires and pricing that shifts without warning. Capitec Connect was built to challenge that reality, and the latest figures show how far that approach has travelled in just over three years.
In the past year, Capitec returned R108 million in value to Connect clients through free data and Live Better rewards, including 3 petabytes of free data worth R78 million. Subscriber numbers grew 67% year-on-year, data usage tripled, and voice usage rose sharply – clear signs that for a growing share of clients, the Connect SIM is now the primary SIM, not the backup.
“With Connect, we have focused on creating real value providing more data, at more affordable prices,” says Dalene Steyn, Executive Head: Capitec Connect. “Free Connect-to-Connect calling is a natural extension of that. As the network grows, so does the value we can give back.”
That value compounds the more clients use Capitec Connect. Phones and tablets from brands including Samsung and Apple are available directly through the Capitec app, no deposit, flexible payment terms, and will soon be available across all 860 Capitec branches. When a client’s Connect number is linked to their banking profile, every device purchase comes with 5GB of free data each month for 12 months: 60GB in total, worth R1,200.
For many South Africans, a smartphone is the primary gateway to banking, education, job applications and small business tools. Pairing a reliable device with affordable data means clients don’t have to choose between staying connected and staying financially afloat.
”Capitec Connect has moved beyond being a connectivity product,” Steyn adds. “It is now a core part of how clients engage with Capitec every day, and that is one of the forces behind our 90% digital adoption rate. The growth reflects how deeply embedded Connect has become in our clients’ financial lives.”
“Capitec was built on the principle that financial services shouldn’t cost more than clients can afford,” Steyn concludes. “Connect applies that same logic to connectivity. For most South Africans, what they spend on data and airtime is central to how they manage their money.”
