Let’s say your child (or friend or family member) runs out of data. Who are they going to call? You, probably – and because you’re on Vodacom, they’ll know that you have excellent taste in mobile data providers.  

But how can you share that data? One option is to set up a mobile hotspot, which only works if your friend, child or whoever is physically close by. A far better – and more mobile – option is to purchase data and send it to their device.  

Here are three ways to do it, remember that the data you send them cannot then be transferred to a third party. Ts and Cs also apply, depending on which option you choose.  

VodaPay App 

If you’re a Vodacom customer on a Red Plan, you can use Red Family Share to transfer data via the VodaPay App. Just download the VodaPay app, register or log in, and you can share data from either your anytime, recurring or Night Owl bundles!  

Note that this method is only accessible to customers on a Red plan, you’ll be charged R25 per month for each number you share with, and you can only share data with a maximum of 6 subscribers in a calendar month. Also note that to share your data with another subscriber using Red Family Share, you must be the master account holder of the Red Price Plan. The amount for sharing will be charged to the primary account holder's monthly bill.

You’ll find more FAQs about Family Share here.  

But data sharing isn’t just for your family members. You can share data with friends, too. In the VodaPay app, go to Buy Bundles, then type in the number you want to buy a bundle for and click Proceed. It’s really that simple – and you can even buy data for someone who uses a different network. (Just be sure to remind them that they’d be better off with Vodacom.) 

USSD 

It’s an old school option, but it’s definitely not obsolete. USSD (or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) was the easiest way to get and share data back in the prehistoric/pre-digital days. Today it’s not as popular, but it still works like a charm.  

Dial *135# and select Data, then select For Another Number and enter the recipient’s Vodacom number. Then select the data bundle to transfer, and you’re done!  

If you’re a Prepaid or Top Up user, you can only transfer bundles worth up to 80% of your airtime balance. 

Banking Apps  

That’s right: your bank’s mobile app isn’t just for managing your money. Every bank in South Africa offers every Vodacom data bundle option (including weekly options) via their banking app. It’s usually located in the same place within the app where you’d buy electricity or airtime – and it typically uses the same mechanism.  

Under the Wallet option (or similar), just choose the recipient’s network provider and amount of data, enter the recipient’s cellphone number, press Purchase and go! 

Sharing is caring, but always remember to top yourself up with data as well. Alternatively, check out these amazing SIM-only data deals from the Vodacom Online Shop.