Am I paying too much for fibre?
Not a list of this week’s specials, because those are wrong by next month. This is what a line actually costs at each speed, what that works out to per megabit, and whether your current bill is reasonable. Then you go and negotiate.
Prices checked 27 September 2026
Your total fibre bill, including the router if it is rented. Leave it blank to just see the line prices.
A small family
The most common sensible choice, and where most homes should start.
A 50 Mbps line costs
R697 to R797
a month, depending on which network is in your street
Openserve
50/25 Mbps
R697
R13.94 per Mbps
Vumatel
50/25 Mbps
R727
R14.54 per Mbps
Vumatel
50/50 Mbps
R797
R15.94 per Mbps
Openserve
50/50 Mbps
R797
R15.94 per Mbps
The network is whoever dug up your street, and you do not choose it. The provider you buy from, you do, and that is where the difference between a fair bill and a bad one sits.
A benchmark, not a quote and not a deal list. These are one provider’s retail prices on two networks, checked and dated, so treat them as a reference point rather than the cheapest available. Another provider on the same line will quote differently, which is the whole reason to shop around. The full price tables and where they come from.
Why your bill is above the line price
Some of the gap is normal and some of it is negotiable. Knowing which is which is the whole conversation.
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.
What to ask when you phone
Whether you are switching or trying to get your current provider to move, these are the questions that actually change the number.
- 1What is the line price, and what is your charge on top of it?
- 2Is the router included, rented, or mine to buy? What does it cost over two years?
- 3Is this price promotional, and what does it become when the promotion ends?
- 4What is the installation or activation fee, and what happens if I cancel inside a year?
- 5Which networks actually reach my address? Some suburbs have more than one.
- 6If I move to the next speed up, what is the difference per month?
Questions people ask
- How do I know if I am paying too much for fibre?
- Compare your monthly bill against the line price for your speed. The line is what the network charges; everything above it is your provider's margin, plus a router if you rent one. A couple of hundred rand above the line is normal. Much more than that is worth a phone call.
- Why do fibre prices differ between providers on the same line?
- Because the line and the service are sold by two different companies. The network owns the fibre in your street and sets the line price, which you cannot change. The provider buys that line and sells it to you with their own charge on top, which you can change by switching provider.
- What is cost per megabit, and why does it matter?
- The monthly price divided by the download speed. It is the quickest way to see which tier is good value, because faster lines usually cost less per megabit. If you are close to the next tier up, the per megabit figure often shows the upgrade is better value than it looks.
- Do you list every fibre deal in South Africa?
- No, and we would rather say so. We publish verified line prices on the two biggest networks as a benchmark. A list of every promotional package goes out of date within weeks, and republishing prices we cannot check would make this page less trustworthy, not more.
Line prices: MyBroadband, reporting Afrihost retail pricing on Vumatel and Openserve lines, Effective 1 April 2026. Checked 27 September 2026. These are one provider’s retail prices, not a wholesale rate and not an industry average. The full tables are here.