Vodacom dramatically expands eSim support

June 21, 2023 Siyabonga Mtangana

Vodacom in South Africa will soon offer all customers with supported devices the ability to use embedded Sims (eSims), expanding dramatically support for a technology that obviates the need for physical Sim cards.

The company said on Wednesday that it will now offer eSim support for smartphones across prepaid, top-up/hybrid and post-paid plans, meaning users with devices that support eSim will be able to make use of the technology.

The move will allow Vodacom to reduce the need to manufacture plastic Sims, in the process reducing carbon emissions, it said.

“Traditional Sim cards contain unique identifying information that allows a mobile phone or device to connect securely to a mobile network. With eSim, that information is contained in a few lines of code stored on a dedicated chip inside a mobile phone or device rather than on a removable card,” Vodacom explained.

Vodacom South Africa consumer business director Rishaad Tayob said in a statement that the number of eSim-capable smartphones in the local market is “growing rapidly”.

“With the introduction of a QR code-based eSim activation method, customers can now connect and use the self-Rica (Sim registration) process to activate their new number digitally,” Tayob said.

Vodacom first launched eSim support for wearables under the OneNumber brand back in 2019. Since then, it said its network of eSim-enabled devices has grown to more than a million. – © 2023 NewsCentral Media