Vodacom is the MOST ****MY NETWORK PROVIDER I’ve Ever Used.

I genuinely don’t know how Vodacom is still operating with how shady and exploitative they are. I use Telkom for internet, and whenever I run out of data, I use the tiny bit of airtime left on that SIM to call and recharge. Even with just R4, I can make two short calls easily. But with Vodacom? It’s like airtime disappears into thin air.

Here’s what happened: I bought R50 airtime. They deducted R26 for an airtime advance—fine, I knew that was coming. But that left me with around R24. I made four short calls to my gate ****erally just, “Hi, open the gate”), and the airtime was gone within a week. These were not long calls. It makes no sense.

Also, the airtime advance charges R1 extra as a fee, which adds up quickly. You’re basically forced to keep taking advances because Vodacom eats your airtime so fast, it’s almost impossible to stay on top of it.

They also advertise “Double Your Airtime” when you recharge, but that feels like a complete lie. They say you get 50 bonus minutes—but those minutes are completely useless if your regular airtime runs out. So what’s the point of the free minutes if I can’t even use them?

And then there’s the constant spam from Vodacom itself. Not random spam. I’m talking about their own SimToolkit pop-ups saying things like “Press OK to subscribe for R5 a day” or “Join the kids’ competition for R3 a day.” They send these so frequently, sometimes right after a call, with prompts to take another airtime advance. It feels like gambling or a **** trap.

And let’s not forget the number recycling. I’ve seen relatives’ old numbers being reused by strangers, complete with updated WhatsApp photos and all. It’s disturbing and shady.

Yes, they do offer decent deals sometimes when you’re really desperate—but it’s clear they’re structured to keep you stuck in a loop of advances and misleading offers.

If you’re thinking about using Vodacom, just don’t. You’ll spend way more than you should and constantly feel like you're being **********.