eSIM plans for Africa

Why do you need an eSIM for Africa?

Africa is not part of the European Union roaming zone, so your "roam like home" plan does not work here. As soon as you land in Marrakech, Cairo, or Cape Town, your Spanish operator will start charging you international roaming fees: opening a map, sending an audio message, or uploading a photo can cost you several euros in minutes. Many travelers return with bills over €100 without realizing it.

You have three ways to connect, and two of them are inconvenient: paying your company's roaming (very expensive), buying a local SIM at the airport (queues, mandatory passport and registration, and sometimes cards that don't even work), or renting a pocket WiFi (another device to carry and return). The eSIM solves everything: you buy online, receive a QR code, install it before leaving home, and arrive in Africa with data from minute one.

How much does roaming cost in Africa?

Being outside the EU, Spanish operators apply Zone 3 or 4 rates: daily roaming bundles are around €10-15 per day for a few hundred MB, and without a bundle, a single megabyte can cost €6-12 in countries like Egypt, Kenya, or South Africa. A two-week trip relying on roaming can easily set you back €150-200. With a PuraSIM eSIM, you pay for the entire trip and know exactly how much you're spending: the savings exceed 80% compared to roaming.

How much does an eSIM for Africa cost?

You choose the GBs based on the number of days you travel, with no permanence or hidden charges. You can get a small plan for a weekend in Marrakech or a large one for a two-week safari in Kenya and Tanzania. Everything is managed from your mobile, and if you run out, you can top up in seconds. Check out all eSIM plans for Africa and choose the one that fits your itinerary and budget.

How many GB do I need for Africa?

It depends on how much you use your mobile. For maps, WhatsApp, and social media with occasional queries, light usage is enough; if you make video calls, upload daily stories, or share your connection, a more generous plan is better. This table gives you a realistic reference:

What is the best eSIM for Africa?

The best eSIM is one that relies on the leading operators in each country to give you the widest coverage. In Africa, our network connects with the main local companies: Maroc Telecom, Orange, and Inwi in Morocco, Vodafone and Orange in Egypt, Vodacom and MTN in South Africa, Safaricom and Airtel in KenyaMTN in Nigeria, Ghana, or Uganda. This way, you always connect to the strongest signal available.

• Real local network: you connect to the leading operators in each country, not a second-rate signal.
• Activation in 1 minute: install the QR and be ready before takeoff.
• Hotspot included: share data with your companions' laptops or tablets.
• No permanence and with guarantee: you pay only for your trip and have 24/7 Spanish support.

Coverage in Africa: city by city

• Marrakech and Casablanca (Morocco): Solid 4G/4G+ in the medina, Menara airport, and the new city; first 5G tests in major urban areas.
• Cairo and Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt): Good 4G in Giza, downtown, and Red Sea resorts; stable coverage on tourist routes.
• Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa): Real 4G and 5G from Vodacom and MTN in the city center, airports, and tourist neighborhoods.
• Nairobi and Mombasa (Kenya): Safaricom 4G and 5G in the city; signal is intermittent in rural areas during Masai Mara safaris.
• Zanzibar and the Serengeti (Tanzania): Good 4G on the island and in towns; within the national park, coverage drops, as with any SIM.
• Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe): Decent 4G coverage in urban areas and hotels near the waterfalls.

eSIM, local SIM, or pocket WiFi

A local SIM can be cheap, but in many African countries, it requires passport registration, queuing at the airport, and changing your number; you also lose your Spanish SIM during the trip. A pocket WiFi can support several devices, but it's an extra device to carry, monitor, and return, and if you move away from it, you lose data. The eSIM wins in convenience: zero plastic, you install it from home, keep your WhatsApp number, and arrive connected. For most trips to Africa, it is the simplest and safest option.

How do you activate the eSIM for Africa?

• Buy and receive the QR: choose your plan, and the code arrives by email instantly.
• Install it at home with WiFi: scan the QR and add the eSIM to your mobile before traveling.
• Activate it upon arrival: when you land in Africa, turn on the eSIM's roaming data.
• Connect: in less than a minute, you have internet, without looking for stores or cards.

Tips for not overspending

• Deactivate the data on your Spanish SIM and keep only the eSIM active to avoid paying roaming by mistake.
• Download offline Google Maps of your city or route before leaving home.
• Use hotel WiFi for large downloads (Netflix, updates) and save your GBs for daily use.
• Choose a plan with a margin: if in doubt, go up one GB level; topping up on the go is always an option.

Are you traveling to more destinations?

Our Africa eSIM covers the continent's major destinations—Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and many more—in a single plan, so you don't need to buy a card for each country if your route crosses several borders: you save time and money compared to an individual eSIM. If your trip also leaves the continent, check out the international eSIM with global plans. If you're only going to Morocco, you have the custom-made eSIM for Morocco, and if you're still not sure, check out our most popular destinations for inspiration.