MTN Eswatini drops Data Bundles price by 70 percent

Mbabane: “We are taking this bold decision to respond to our customers concerns about data costs”

This were words by the MTN Eswatini Chief Executive Officer Wandile Mtshali when he announced the newly reviewed data prices. MTN Eswatini has implemented an overall review of up to 32 percent on Prepaid data bundles and up to 70 percent on Post-paid data bundles.

The data review changes were announced by Mtshali on Thursday during the ‘You Deserve the Best’ and Data Price Review campaign held at Mahlalekhukhwini House, Ezulwini. The event was broadcasted live on Facebook, hosted by the company’s Corporate Affairs Manager Mandla Luphondvo. The event was also graced by acting Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Manqoba Khumalo.

Mtshali said the campaign comes after numerous complaints from customers which includes expensive data, data and airtime disappearance, too many MTN promotional SMSes and long waiting periods to get assistance from the company’s contact centre. Mtshali said the intention of the campaign was to address all these grievances. Mtshali said the data price is the leading complaint from the company’s customers, hence the company have taken a strategic position to review their data pricing.

The CEO highlighted that this review forms part of a process that began in 2016 and this one is the fifth, following other four reviews that were undertaken by the company over the past years. Mtshali said these developments are driven by the company’s belief that everyone, whoever you are, wherever you are, you deserve the benefits of a connected life.

The CEO said while there will be pressure on their short time financial performance from these price cuts, they believe it is the right thing to do, and that the reduction will be compensated overtime by elasticity and customer and usage growth.

The country’s leader of the biggest telecommunications company CEO said the implemented reduction of 32 percent in prepaid and up to 70 percent in post-paid packages will be delivered through offering customers greater value, means of either lower prices and or greater benefit or data volume.

The company introduced new bundle offerings and also increased the volume of some of existing bundles. One of the good news when it comes to this review is the introduction of Non-Expire or Freedom data bundles that will replace the Daily WOW Bundles. This form of data will be available only for prepaid and anytime customers and this means that customers will now load and use data as long as they have it, without worrying about expiry.

Mtshali said this game changing move will address issues of affordability, value for money in general, and consequently improve both adoption and usage.

The prepaid bundles, have increased the volume of the Weekly and Monthly Wow Bundles. MTN is also offering a 100 percent bonus that takes the same validity as the purchased bundle for both weekly and monthly wow bundles. The bonus will be used between 11:00pm-5:00am.

Acting Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Manqoba Khumalo said he believes this changes brought my MTN Eswatini will bring changes as the country was categorised as the most expensive one when it comes to data pricing. This according to policy and regulation think tank Research ICT Africa’s 1GB Basket statistics, which compare the average price of 1 Gigabyte of mobile data by country in US dollars.

Below are the prepaid products;

1. Freedom Bundles

• Weekly and Monthly Bundles

Social Bundles Changes

We are maintaining the current:

• Facebook Bundles
• WhatsApp Bundles
• Daily YouTube Bundles

We are introducing All-in-One Social Bundles that covers Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram.

Post Prepaid Products