High-speed fibre price shootout

South African homeowners have a range of high-speed fibre providers from which to choose, with prices starting from R897 for 250Mbps, R1,097 for 500Mbps, and R1,197 for 1Gbps packages.

High-speed fibre packages like these are ideal for those who routinely upload and download large files or share their connection with multiple users.

MyBroadband compared the prices of 250Mbps, 500Mbps, and 1Gbps from several fibre network operators (FNOs) in South Africa. We used Afrihost’s pricing to level the playing field because it supports a wide range of FNOs.

While we included symmetrical and asymmetrical packages, we were strict regarding the download speeds offered. Some FNOs offer lines with download speeds that differ slightly from our speed categories.

For example, Frogfoot sells a 240Mbps line, and Openserve offers a 300Mbps package. We excluded these from the comparison.

MetroFibre offers the most affordable 250Mbps line on its Nexus and Nova networks. The package’s speeds are symmetrical, and it costs R897 per month.

Comtel Communications’ 250Mbps line with a symmetrical upload speed is priced at R1,027.

The table below compares the prices of all the 250Mbps packages available from Afrihost’s partner FNOs.

Only four packages in the category met our criteria, with the average price for 250Mbps fibre-to-the-home lines sitting at R1,080 monthly. South Africans have a much broader selection in the 500Mbps and 1Gbps speed categories.

Residents looking to get a 500Mbps package have fourteen FNOs from which to choose through Afrihost.

Link Africa and Zoom Fibre offer the cheapest 500Mbps lines at R1,097 monthly. The former is symmetrical, while Zoom Fibre’s package features a 250Mbps upload speed.

For R100 more per month, fibre broadband subscribers can get a 500Mbps package from Vumatel with a 200Mbps upload speed.

MetroFibre and Clear Access also offer 500Mbps packages that cost R1,197 per month. However, they both have symmetrical upload speeds.

Comtel Communications sells a package with similar speeds, but it is slightly more expensive at R1,227 per month.

The table below compares the prices of all the 500Mbps packages available from Afrihost’s partner FNOs.

Ten of Afrihost’s FNO partners sell 1Gbps packages, the cheapest being Zoom Fibre’s line with 500Mbps upload for R1,197. Notably, this is just R100 more per month than its 500Mbps line.

South African residents have several 1Gbps fibre options under R1,500 per month from which to choose.

These include offerings from MetroFibre, Frogfoot, Vumatel, and Open Fibre. These packages are asymmetrical, with upload speeds ranging from 250Mbps to 500Mbps.

Mitsol sells a symmetrical 1Gbps fibre line through Afrihost for R1,547 per month. It is the most affordable symmetrical 1Gbps fibre-to-the-home product listed.

The table below compares the 1Gbps FTTH packages available from all the FNOs available through Afrihost.