Vodacom has officially launched support for eSIM devices in South Africa, allowing users with eSIM-enabled devices to connect to the Vodacom network.
The term ‘eSIM’ refers to an embedded SIM card as opposed to s physical SIM cards, meaning that there is no need for physical swapping over for devices. An eSIM is basically a small chip inside your phone and works in a similar way to the NFC chip that's used for payment tech like Apple Pay and Google Pay. It is also simple to add to a data plan as connecting devices with eSIMs to a mobile account can be done in minutes
OneNumber from Vodacom
OneNumber from Vodacom will allow customers the use of a single mobile number across multiple devices, with the eSIM in the customer’s wearable device linking to this number. This means that Vodacom customers will be able to make and receive calls, texts, and maintain active data connections on both their smartphone and eSIM-enabled device. They will also be able to store multiple profiles without the use of a traditional SIM card in a SIM slot. Users can link the eSIM inside their device to their master number by scanning a special QR code when they purchase the device.
Samsung Galaxy and OneNumber
In order to implement eSIM technology throughout South Africa, Vodacom has recently partnered with Samsung and will launch an exclusive eSIM-enabled Samsung Galaxy Watch to its customers as part of the move. This smartwatch uses eSIM technology to deliver LTE connectivity and is compatible with Vodacom’s network, making it the first eSIM-enabled wearable to be activated in the country. Vodacom subscribers who sign up or upgrade to one of the new Samsung Galaxy S10 range devices can bundle it with the new eSIM Samsung Galaxy LTE Watch. For those who want to pay for the device upfront, it will cost R5 999 for the Galaxy Watch 42mm and R6 299 for the Galaxy Watch 46mm.
