Maputo - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Purchase a local phone and pay for data as you need it. I paid US $200 for a phone when I arrived, and generally pay no more than US $15 a month for the internet I use. - Feb 2020
Local SIMs are cheap. Some people have SIMs for Moz, ZA, and Swazi. I use my Google fi sim in ZA, but google doesnt have a roaming agreement with Swazi. I will probably end up getting a Swazi SIM when we go to Bushfire. - Feb 2019
I brought an unlocked phone. Buy phone cards with minutes on them as you go here in the city. - Feb 2017
So many options out there now; everyone does it differently. - Jan 2017
Bring an unlocked phone with you and get a local SIM card. Networks often go down so Mozambicans will often have two phones (one for each of the major networks: Vodacom and M-Cel). Phones can be bought on the local economy but they are often cheap fakes. There is also a lot of phone theft, particularly if you have the latest of any of the major models (iPhone, Galaxy, etc). - Apr 2014
You can buy them there, and most companies will have a plan for you and the family. Pay as you go. - Oct 2012
There are currently two cell phone companies in Mozambique: Vodacom (part of Vodaphone) and mCel (government owned.) A third company is set to enter the market in the next few years. In 2011, 3G service is offered, but data plans can be expensive. Bring an unlocked quad band phone, and you'll be fine. Dual SIM phones have an advantage, as calling the competitor cell phone company is something like five times as expensive as calling a number on your own network. Locals find it cheaper to maintain two numbers if they must, rather than pay the penalty for calling the other network. - Jun 2011
Buy one there. Getting a pre-paid account is very easy. - May 2010
We do not have a landline at our house but have provided cell phones for our children and house staff -- as they are more reliable. - May 2009
Buy one locally and then purchase minutes from vendors on every street corner. - Dec 2008
