Vodacom Will not carry out my Sim Swap on Standard Pre-paid terms.

On Saturday, April 13th, 2024, I experienced the loss of my prepaid mobile phone. Subsequently, I initiated a SIM Swap process for a replacement device. On the same day, I was informed that the SIM card had expired and that I needed to obtain a new SIM before proceeding with the SIM Swap.

On Sunday, April 14th, 2024, I purchased a new SIM card from Checkers. However, during the activation process, the Vodacom agent (Luzuko, on April 14th, 2024, at 16:32) informed me that since my number was previously associated with a contract, I would need to acquire a new SIM from a Vodacom Shop. It was explained to me that the cost for a SIM swap for a contract number is R150, whereas for a prepaid number, it is only R1.

I am questioning the necessity of incurring additional inconvenience and cost for a SIM Swap for a number that is already on prepaid.