Vodacom Forces Price Increase on Consumers

If you are using a Vodacom contract you may have gotten an e-mail from the cellular provider stating that they will increase the price of your contract.

Vodacom’s price increases affect current and new users using Vodacom Smart, uChoose. SIM Only, Top and MYBB subscriptions.

Risking a fiery backlash from consumers, Vodacom’s states, “Even with our cost reduction efforts, market conditions have made it necessary for us to increase the price on some of our products.”

With a clause in their terms and conditions that allows for the fluctuations of prices, the company is covered.

Price hikes should not be a surprise to South African consumers however, who are facing the effects of a weakening rand creating fuel price increases just a few tanks after its two consecutive drops. Fuel is set to rise again on April 1, by 0.85c, 50c of this going into the Road Accident Fund. Getting into tax increases and electricity price hikes, the latter at 25% more over the next three years, places a bleak picture of the SA economy, which Vodacom operates in.

A list of Vodacom Price Increases as of March 2015

With all the increased costs consumers have to face, Vodacom’s higher subscription rate notification is just another in a string of blows. With Eskom’s power cuts (a persistent variable) and price hikes slowing our economy down, forcing many small to medium sized businesses to close, Vodacom is certainly facing the pressure as a large entity.

Before taking pitchforks and flame torches to the Vodacom’s doorstep, we could apply a little understanding to why things are the way they are. Given their generally good service, we are better off with them operating in the country than without.