Compare fibre properly, then choose
Real prices on the two biggest networks, what each speed is actually for, and the cost per megabit worked out for you. The cheapest line in the prices below is R497 a month.
Pocket Nerd editorial · Checked 27 September 2026
Two different companies decide your bill
The network is the company that dug up your street and laid the fibre. It owns the line and sets what the line costs. You do not get to choose it. The internet provider is the company you sign up with and pay every month. It buys that same line and sells it to you with its own charge added on top. You absolutely do choose that one.
So on one identical line, on one network, two providers can charge noticeably different amounts for exactly the same thing. That is the saving worth chasing. We cannot yet tell you which providers reach your address, so those quotes are still phone calls you make yourself. What this page does is tell you what to ask for and what a fair answer looks like.
What speed do you actually need?
Most households buy more than they use. Speed is sold in megabits per second, shortened to Mbps, which on its own tells you nothing about your own house. So here it is by household instead.
Up to 30 Mbps
One or two people
Browsing, email, social media, music, and one HD stream at a time. Netflix asks for 3 Mbps for an HD stream and 5 Mbps for Full HD, so 30 Mbps is more than a small household usually manages to use.
Fine for a flat or a couple who are out all day.
50 Mbps
A small family
Two or three people streaming at once, video calls that hold up, and a console downloading in the background without stopping everyone else.
The most common sensible choice, and where most homes should start.
100 Mbps
A busy house
Several 4K streams, working from home on video all day, and large downloads. Netflix asks for 15 Mbps for a 4K stream, so this is where several 4K televisions stop competing.
Worth it if two or more people work from home.
200 Mbps and up
A full house or a home office
Many devices, frequent big uploads, and people who move large files. Past this point the line is rarely what slows you down.
Check your WiFi and your router before paying for this. On most home setups they run out of capacity long before the line does.
Per-stream bandwidth figures from Netflix published bandwidth recommendations per stream. Checked 27 September 2026.
What the lines actually cost
One provider’s retail prices on each network, before and after the increase on 1 April 2026. The Line column gives download speed first and upload speed second, so 50/25 means 50 Mbps coming down and 25 Mbps going up. The last column is the monthly price divided by the download speed, and it is the one that tells you whether a line is good value.
Vumatel
Check whether this is the network at your address. Many streets have only one.
30/30 Mbps
- Now
- R517
- Before 1 April
- R489
- Cost per Mbps
- R17.23
50/25 Mbps
- Now
- R727
- Before 1 April
- R687
- Cost per Mbps
- R14.54
50/50 Mbps
- Now
- R797
- Before 1 April
- R797
- Cost per Mbps
- R15.94
100/50 Mbps
- Now
- R897
- Before 1 April
- R867
- Cost per Mbps
- R8.97
100/100 Mbps
- Now
- R997
- Before 1 April
- R987
- Cost per Mbps
- R9.97
200/200 Mbps
- Now
- R1 167
- Before 1 April
- R1 137
- Cost per Mbps
- R5.83
500/200 Mbps
- Now
- R1 297
- Before 1 April
- R1 277
- Cost per Mbps
- R2.59
1000/250 Mbps
- Now
- R1 497
- Before 1 April
- R1 497
- Cost per Mbps
- R1.50
1000/500 Mbps
- Now
- R2 497
- Before 1 April
- Not confirmed
- Cost per Mbps
- R2.50
Openserve
Telkom's network. Check whether this is the one at your address.
30/30 Mbps
- Now
- R497
- Before 1 April
- R497
- Cost per Mbps
- R16.57
50/25 Mbps
- Now
- R697
- Before 1 April
- R647
- Cost per Mbps
- R13.94
50/50 Mbps
- Now
- R797
- Before 1 April
- R747
- Cost per Mbps
- R15.94
100/50 Mbps
- Now
- R897
- Before 1 April
- R847
- Cost per Mbps
- R8.97
100/100 Mbps
- Now
- R997
- Before 1 April
- R947
- Cost per Mbps
- R9.97
200/100 Mbps
- Now
- R1 147
- Before 1 April
- R1 097
- Cost per Mbps
- R5.74
200/200 Mbps
- Now
- R1 197
- Before 1 April
- R1 147
- Cost per Mbps
- R5.99
300/150 Mbps
- Now
- R1 297
- Before 1 April
- R1 247
- Cost per Mbps
- R4.32
500/250 Mbps
- Now
- R1 497
- Before 1 April
- R1 447
- Cost per Mbps
- R2.99
Read this before you use the table. These are one provider’s retail prices, not a wholesale rate and not an industry average. They are here because they are real, dated and checkable. Another provider on exactly the same line will quote you a different number, which is the entire reason to shop around.
Source: MyBroadband, reporting Afrihost retail pricing on Vumatel and Openserve lines. Effective 1 April 2026. Checked 27 September 2026.
Why your bill is higher than the table
What your provider adds on top
The same line, on the same network, costs different amounts depending on who you buy it from. This is the part you control, and it is the easiest saving on the whole bill. The provider whose prices are in the table below is not necessarily the cheapest one on your line.
Installation and activation
Often waived on a promotion or a longer contract, and often not. Ask what it costs if you cancel inside the first year.
The router
Either bundled, rented monthly, or bought once. A rented router quietly costs more than buying one over a two-year stay.
A first bill that covers more than a month
Your first invoice usually covers a part month plus the next full month, which is why it looks wrong.
How to do this in the right order
The old version of this page asked for your details first. That is backwards, and it is why people end up on a package they did not choose.
- 1
Check what is in your street
Coverage decides everything. You get the network that has been installed at your address, and in many suburbs that is only one.
- 2
Pick the speed you actually need
Use the speed guide above. Most households overbuy, and the gap between 50 and 200 Mbps is usually spent on a WiFi problem instead.
- 3
Compare providers on that one line
Once the network and speed are fixed, you are comparing identical products on price and service. This is where the real money is.
- 4
Then choose your provider
Only once you know the network, the speed and a fair price. Walking in with those three settled is how you avoid being sold a package you did not need.
Questions people ask
- Can I choose which fibre network is in my street?
- No. The network is whoever has installed fibre at your address, and in many suburbs that is only one company. What you do choose is the internet provider you buy that line from, and that is where the price differences are.
- What fibre speed do I actually need in South Africa?
- For one or two people, up to 30 Mbps is usually plenty. A small family is comfortable on 50 Mbps. A busy house with several 4K televisions and people working from home on video wants 100 Mbps. Past 200 Mbps the line is rarely what slows you down, and the WiFi or the router usually is.
- Why is my fibre bill higher than the advertised price?
- The advertised figure is normally the line price. On top of that sits what your provider adds for itself, any installation or activation fee, and the router if it is rented rather than bundled. The first invoice also usually covers a part month plus the next full month.
- Did fibre prices go up in 2026?
- Yes. Both of the two biggest networks adjusted prices from 1 April 2026, and most line speeds went up by roughly 1% to 8%. A few did not change at all, including the cheapest lines on one network and, on the other, the fastest lines where the upload speed matches the download speed.
Your insurance is probably the bigger bill
Insurance is the one most people overpay on by more than a fibre line costs in total. We compare that properly, and you pick who gets your details.
We do not take fibre enquiries yet. When we can tell you which providers actually reach your address and what each one charges on your line, we will build that here. Until then this page is the honest version: work out your speed, then buy the cheapest provider on it.