Africa eSIM: your travel data guide
From Marrakech to Cape Town, Dakar to Nairobi: everything you need to stay connected in Africa with an eSIM.
Africa at a glance
Africa spans 30.3 million km² across 54 countries, from Morocco to Cape Town. It is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent: 1.5 billion people, with the fastest growth on the planet.
For an eSIM traveller, Africa splits into five regions: North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt) with mature 4G and some of the cheapest mobile data prices worldwide, West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast) booming, East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda) pioneer of mobile money (M-Pesa), Central Africa, and Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana) with 5G rolled out across major cities.
Africa is the world's fastest-growing mobile market: 4G now covers over 70% of the population per GSMA (2024), and 5G is in active rollout in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and Mauritius. The continent is also the global leader in mobile payments.
A few Africa eSIM plans
A selection of multi-country plans to travel anywhere in Africa with a single eSIM.
30 plans of 30 shown
Explore African destinations
Per-country destination guides for Africa are coming soon. In the meantime, compare per-country plans via the comparison page.
All countries in the region
Connectivity and networks in Africa
4G/5G: 4G now covers over 70% of Africa's population (GSMA 2024). 5G is commercially deployed in South Africa (Vodacom, MTN, Rain), Kenya (Safaricom), Nigeria (MTN, Airtel), Egypt (Vodafone, Orange), Morocco (Maroc Telecom, Orange) and Mauritius. Elsewhere 4G+ is the norm in major cities.
Average speeds (Ookla Q1 2025): South Africa 40-90 Mbps, Morocco 30-60 Mbps, Egypt 25-60 Mbps, Kenya / Tanzania 25-50 Mbps, Nigeria / Ghana 20-40 Mbps, other sub-Saharan countries 10-30 Mbps.
No continent-wide roaming in Africa (the SADC roaming zone covers 16 Southern + East African countries but is limited to participating operators). For multi-country trips (e.g. Kenya + Tanzania + Uganda on a safari), a regional Africa eSIM (up to 30 countries) is the cheapest route, saving 70-95% vs. classic international roaming.
Mobile money: Africa is the global leader in mobile payments. M-Pesa (Kenya, Tanzania, DRC) is used for everything from taxis to bills. MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money, Orange Money and Wave (Senegal, Ivory Coast) are everywhere. A data eSIM lets you tap into these apps without a local bank account.
Restrictions and VPN: most African countries impose no restrictions on Google, WhatsApp, Instagram or X. Notable exceptions: in Egypt, WhatsApp, Skype and FaceTime voice calls are blocked (text messaging works); in Ethiopia and Tanzania, periodic internet shutdowns occur during political events. A VPN can be useful in these contexts.
Sources : Internet Society Pulse · GSMA Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa · Ookla Speedtest Global Index · ITU DataHub: Africa
Countries in the zone
The Africa zone on Datadopt covers every African destination eligible for regional or local eSIMs. Here is how they break down.
North Africa
Mature 4G, some of the cheapest data prices worldwide
West Africa
4G boom, pan-African operators MTN / Orange / Airtel
Central Africa
Uneven 4G coverage, regional operators dominant
East Africa
Mobile-money pioneer (M-Pesa), 4G in every city
Southern Africa
5G deployed in South Africa, 4G everywhere
Local operators by country
Africa eSIM plans ride on national operator networks. Here are the leading operators in the major destinations.
| Pays | Opérateurs principaux |
|---|---|
| 🇲🇦Morocco | Maroc Telecom (IAM), Orange Maroc, Inwi |
| 🇪🇬Egypt | Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt, Etisalat Misr, WE |
| 🇹🇳Tunisia | Tunisie Telecom, Ooredoo Tunisia, Orange Tunisia |
| 🇩🇿Algeria | Mobilis (ATM), Djezzy, Ooredoo Algeria |
| 🇳🇬Nigeria | MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Glo Mobile, 9mobile |
| 🇿🇦South Africa | Vodacom, MTN South Africa, Cell C, Telkom Mobile, Rain |
| 🇰🇪Kenya | Safaricom, Airtel Kenya, Telkom Kenya |
| 🇹🇿Tanzania | Vodacom Tanzania, Airtel Tanzania, Tigo, Halotel |
| 🇬🇭Ghana | MTN Ghana, Telecel (ex-Vodafone), AirtelTigo |
| 🇸🇳Senegal | Orange Sonatel, Free Senegal, Expresso |
| 🇨🇮Ivory Coast | Orange CI, MTN CI, Moov Africa |
| 🇪🇹Ethiopia | Ethio Telecom, Safaricom Ethiopia |
| 🇺🇬Uganda | MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda |
| 🇷🇼Rwanda | MTN Rwanda, Airtel Rwanda |
| 🇲🇬Madagascar | Telma, Orange Madagascar, Airtel Madagascar |