South Africa MVNO market guide
Host networks, ICASA licensing, POPIA, RICA, and B-BBEE – with checklists for launching or switching an MVNO
- Free PDF · 15 pages · sent to your inbox
80–85%
Cell C's share of MVNO hosting
20+
Live MVNOs and mobile brands
4
Networks offering MVNO hosting
2
Checklists inside: launch and migration
Two paths through the guide
Launching a new MVNO and growing an existing one need different answers
Launching a new MVNO
- Pick a host network and MVNE
- Settle your ICASA licence route
- Choose thin, service-provider, or full
- Tick off 12 launch-readiness items
Switching or growing an MVNO
- Spot the signs you have outgrown your setup
- Separate host, MVNE and billing changes
- Plan how live subscribers move
- Tick off 10 migration items
What's inside the guide
15 pages your commercial and technical teams can work through together
Compare the host networks
What Cell C, MTN, Telkom, and Vodacom offer MVNOs, and why Rain is one to watch
Find your licence route
ECS, ECNS, or reseller exemption, and who holds your numbers
Plan for POPIA
Settle who handles subscriber data, whether you or your MVNE runs the platform
Settle RICA and B-BBEE early
Two checks that stall launches and tenders if raised late
Check the numbers
The costs and revenue lines your business case needs
Ask the right vendor questions
Five questions to put to every BSS vendor
Who this guide is for
Four types of business use it, and each starts from a different question
Telecom and ISP operators
Adding mobile to your services, or moving off your current MVNE
Banks and fintechs
Running a branded MVNO, or planning one, inside a regulated institution
Retail brands
Using mobile for loyalty, and checking the numbers still work as you grow
MVNEs and enablers
Hosting several MVNO brands on one platform, and choosing the billing that runs them
Running a bank or retail MVNO, or hosting one?
Keep each brand's mobile data in its own system
POPIA decides when mobile and banking data can be combined. Your billing has to keep track.
- Record which processing purposes have a lawful basis, including consent
- Keep mobile and banking data separate when combining them is not permitted
- Act on withdrawal and data requests while the mobile service keeps running
PortaBilling manages subscriber and usage data within its BSS
Role-based access control and personal-data masking help operators restrict access to sensitive customer information. Separation from core banking systems depends on the integration architecture.
5 million
SIM cards Datora runs on PortaBilling
500+
Operators in nearly 100 countries run on PortaOne
Get your free guide
15 pages on host networks, ICASA, POPIA, RICA, and B-BBEE, one plan for your South African MVNO
About PortaOne
Since 2001, PortaOne has been developing billing, business support systems, and cloud telephony software, helping telcos connect people.
Our journey has seen the rise of over 500 forward-thinking telcos in more than 100 countries, aiding them in becoming market leaders while keeping the total cost of ownership for their business support systems under control.
Our customers speak to our commitment, citing our support as the best in the industry. We offer a lifetime license without limits and an open-architecture platform, enabling swift in-house development of new services. Access to source code is granted, ensuring transparency and security validation.
