The number of MVNOs in the South African market continues to grow quickly, but other aspects of the market – including the number of participating mobile network operators and network enablement platforms – have also expanded since TechCentral last updated this list in 2024.
The three newest MVNOs in South Africa are Old Mutual Connect, Spar Mobile and Stadio Connect. Old Mutual Connect entered the market in October 2024 and was the second insurance-focused MVNO after Clientèle Mobile. Old Mutual Connect has not been clear about which network operators it relies on for infrastructure support as part of what it has described as a “multi-operator core network agreement”.
Spar Mobile and Stadio Connect both entered the market in 2025 and both rely on MTN for infrastructure. Stadio Connect is uniquely positioned as the first education sector MVNO in South Africa.
MTN’s growing market share is encroaching on Cell C’s leadership in the MVNO sector. Of South Africa’s 22 MVNOs, 13 are signed onto market pioneer Cell C and eight onto MTN. Cell C CEO Jorge Mendes vowed at a media briefing in May to defend Cell C’s leadership in the space. But, Cell C is increasingly up against an expanding array of competitors.
Vodacom entered the MVNO enablement space in September 2024 when it announced it had built its own MVNE platform and signed its first MVNO customer, Mr Price Mobile. Launched in 2014, Mr Price Mobile is no newcomer to the MVNO space but now employs a multi-operator strategy where it uses both Cell C and Vodacom for infrastructure. Vodacom is yet to announce any other MVNO signings. “We are currently in talks with other partners across multiple sectors,” said a Vodacom spokesman.
‘Open for business’
Telkom then followed suit in March 2025, announcing it had signed an agreement with an unnamed MVNE platform “with a proven track record” and “was open for business”. Telkom is yet to announce its first MVNO signing.
The boom in the MVNO sector has created opportunities for independent MVNE platforms, too. Huge NXTGN – pronounced “next gen” – entered the MVNE space in March with a product dubbed “digital VNE”. The platform leveraged IP acquired by parent company Huge Group that it bought from the now-defunct Virgin Mobile South Africa – the country’s first-ever MVNO which was launched in 2006.
Read: More can be done to support MVNOs in South Africa
Banking sector MVNOs such as Capitec Connect, FNB Connect and Standard Bank Connect continue to dominate in terms of customers and revenue. In a recent interview with TechCentral, Johan Nel, senior management consultant at technology industry research and advisory firm BMIT, said inter-sector competition among MVNOs is leading to a healthier telecommunications market for South African consumers.
“The MVNO market has started organising itself around sectors like banking, ISPs, media, telco and retail. Each subsector has mini-propositions where each player competes against its peers, other MVNOs and even the larger mobile network operators, which is very good for the market,” said Nel.
South Africa’s MVNO market will continue to grow and come to closely resemble places like Mexico, where the combined value of MVNOs – these include Lyca Mobile and Walmart-owned BAIT – is larger than AT&T, a major network operator in that country, BMIT said. However, not all MVNOs are guaranteed to survive, said Nel.
“There is a danger for somebody who comes in with a good idea that doesn’t get to scale and they may, sadly, have to close down the business. From an industry point of view, however, you need guys who are at the bleeding edge of technology to drive it forward, because that creates a healthy, competitive ecosystem,” said Nel. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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