Vodacom South Africa recently announced price adjustments for postpaid and fiber tariffs. New prices will be effective from April 1, 2024.
However, the price adjustment came just months after MTN increased its fares. From April 1, Vodacom contract customers' subscriptions for both mobile broadband data plans and home internet plans will increase by 8%.
Vodacom said in a statement that the adjustment equates to an average increase of 4.6% on customers' total bills. Network providers have revealed that they are investing heavily in network resiliency, and prices are rising as a result.
“Insurance premiums, hardware and device costs, value-added services and out-of-bundle charges will remain unchanged to cushion customers from the impact of price increases,” Vodacom South Africa said in a statement.
The rest of the statement reads: “We remain committed to providing our customers with the best value, robust network, affordable pricing, and superior customer experience while continuing to contribute to the growth and resilience of this nation's economy. I will do my best,” it says.
makate lawsuit
No doubt, many expected a price increase in the backdrop of the company's recent legal woes with Please Call Me idea man Kenneth Nkosana Makate. The Supreme Court of Appeal has reportedly ordered Vodacom to pay Makate for using his idea.
According to reports, Vodacom has been ordered to pay Makate between R28.999 billion and R55.37 billion. Makate's Vodacom case has been in court for 16 years. The idea man behind Please Call Me Back tells Vodacom he has generated more than R250 billion from the idea.
However, Makate's Vodacom scandal appears to have nothing to do with price hikes. In recent years, it has become a global trend for network providers to adjust their prices at the beginning of the year.
Vodacom and other network providers are not exempt from this norm. However, network providers adjust their rates in line with inflation and increased operating costs.
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