MTN South Africa announces 3G decommissioning
The goal is to free up valuable spectrum for more efficient 4G and 5G services
If you're still clinging to a 3G-only phone in South Africa, the clock is officially ticking. MTN has announced it is speeding up its plan to retire 3G networks.
Although the official cutoff date is the end of 2027, the goal is to free up valuable spectrum for more efficient 4G and 5G services.
MTN South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi confirmed that the telecom giant has already begun collapsing “pockets of 3G” where 4G coverage is strong enough to take over. And according to Techcentral, MTN has achieved 95% 4G coverage across South Africa.
In addition to that, MTN already operates more than 4,000 live 5G sites, covering around 44% of South Africa’s population. The goal is to push that figure past 60% by the end of 2025. But even as MTN leans into the future, it’s not cutting off legacy users completely.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
2G service will remain for the foreseeable future to support low-bandwidth, machine-to-machine use cases—think smart meters, alarms, and other IoT devices that don’t need high speeds but do need consistent uptime.
However, this move to scrap 3G entirely from the country raises concerns about the digital divide, particularly for low-income and rural users who still rely on older networks. To address this, MTN has launched a large-scale effort to push users toward 4G.
Specifically, it’s rolling out low-cost smartphones starting at just 99 rand (about $5.42), aiming to reach 1.2 million prepaid users. The initiative is rolling out in three phases through 2026, beginning with 5,000 users in Gauteng, then scaling to 130,000 across the country, and over a million more after that.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
That aside, MTN isn’t alone in this plan to shut off the older generation network in South Africa. Vodacom plans to shut down its 3G and 2G networks soon, and Telkom has already pulled the plug on most of its 2G services with plans to cut off 3G.
National regulators are also involved, with ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) conducting an economic impact assessment to ensure no communities are left behind during the transition.
Overall, cellular networks are evolving, the infrastructure is expanding, and whether you're a tech enthusiast or just trying to keep your phone connected, change is coming fast.
