The eSIM Built for South African Travellers.
No Contracts. No Shock Bills.
HelloRoam covers 175+ countries with instant eSIM data. Skip the SIM card queue at OR Tambo, Cape Town International, or King Shaka. Data works the moment you land.
5% off your first eSIM• Limited time offer
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Secure paymentInstant activation180-day money-back guarantee
Apple App StoreRated 5/5
HelloRoam is a global eSIM company operated by Future Syncs Limited, a UK-registered business founded in 2025. We provide prepaid e-sim data plans for travellers heading to 175+ countries, with no physical SIM card, no activation fees, and no roaming surprises. Plans are digital, delivered by QR code, and activated in under 2 minutes. Payments are processed by Stripe at PCI DSS Level 1 standard. Customer data is handled in compliance with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
99.8%
Network uptime
175+
Destinations
24/7
Human Support
Built Out of Frustration. Made for Every Traveller.
Co-founders Aqib Hassan (CTO) and Mubashir Gulab (COO) both hit the same wall in 2025. They arrived in new countries with no data, steep carrier fees, and a scramble for a local SIM card. South African travellers know this feeling well. Vodacom at R29 per MB and MTN at R50 per day add up fast.
Why should staying connected abroad eat up your travel budget?
HelloRoam launched in 2025 to fix that. Today, travellers heading to 175+ countries get instant e-sim data without hunting for a SIM kiosk at the airport or paying per-MB rates when they land.
Get your eSIMHow HelloRoam Compares to Other eSIM Providers
Vodacom and MTN international roaming rates can be brutal for South African travellers. See where HelloRoam stands on the features that matter when you land at Heathrow or Dubai International.
| Feature |  | Airalo | Holafly | Nomad | Saily | Ubigi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180-day refund policy |  |  | | | | |
| 24/7 live chat support | |  | | | | |
| $0 activation fees | | | | | | |
| 99.8% uptime guarantee | | | | | | |
| No data overage charges | | | | | | |
| Instant QR code delivery | | | | | | |
| Premium US carrier networks | | | | | | |
How to use HelloRoam
Up and running in minutes
10GBMost travelers choose 🔥
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Affordable, Secure, and POPIA Compliant
Instant eSIM Delivery
Your QR code arrives within seconds of purchase. No physical SIM, no airport kiosk queue, and no delays at OR Tambo, Cape Town International, or King Shaka.
Transparent Pricing
You see the full cost before you pay. No hidden daily rates, no extra fees, and no shock rand bill when you get home.
145+ Carrier Partners
Direct partnerships with local networks mean your eSIM gets the best available signal in each country, not a slow fallback connection.
POPIA Compliant
We handle South African customer data in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), keeping your details private.
Powered by premium carrier networks (190+)
Meet the Founders
Two founders built HelloRoam because international data cost too much and took too long to set up.
Aqib Hassan
Co-Founder & CTO
Aqib Hassan is Co-Founder and CTO of HelloRoam, a travel eSIM provider active in 175+ countries. He designed the backend systems that complete eSIM activation in under two minutes. His background in fintech and mobile infrastructure is why South African travellers get instant, affordable data the moment they land, without queuing for a SIM card kiosk.
Mubashir Gulab
Co-Founder & COO
Mubashir Gulab is Co-Founder and COO of HelloRoam, managing carrier partnerships across 175+ countries. He works directly with mobile networks to keep eSIM plan prices far below what Vodacom or MTN charge for international roaming. South Africans travelling to the UK, Dubai, or Mauritius pay a fraction of carrier rates because of the deals he builds.
What South African Travellers Say About HelloRoam
Verified reviews from the Apple App Store
5 out of 5 stars
Great experience
Super easy to set up, no hassle with physical SIM cards, and the connection was reliable the whole time I was travelling. Speeds were solid, and I stayed connected without worrying about crazy roaming charges.
Areesh72829
5 out of 5 stars
Best E-sim App
Very helpful, easy to use and straight forward. Highly recommend this app to everyone.
X99HAS
5 out of 5 stars
Travel Data
Absolutely Amazing
ui.riyad
5 out of 5 stars
Very Easy & Quick
Very Good Service, very affordable rates
Imrangulab
5 out of 5 stars
Loved there service
Amazing and very cheap service You should try when traling
Muhammadahmad1997
5 out of 5 stars
Everything straight forward
App works smoothly. Easy to install Esim itself.
BreakingB@d
Find Us On
Loved by travellers worldwide
Apple App StoreRated 5/5
5/5 rating
"Used HelloRoam across 8 countries in Europe. Connected every time, right from the airport. Saved over R7,500 compared to what Vodacom would have charged. I won't travel internationally without it again."
![Sarah M. - [[name]]'s avatar](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fmockups%2Favatar3.webp&w=64&q=75&dpl=dpl_E3jcS151ea9BHzJN1r4cN1mriJhG){kind=small}
Sarah M.
5/5 rating
"Got sorted at OR Tambo before boarding to Tokyo. Had fast data the moment I cleared customs at Narita. No SIM card shops, no queue, no stress. This is how travel should work."
Michael Chen"Family trip to Mauritius with 4 phones. 14 days of unlimited data at a fraction of what Vodacom would have charged. The kids were lekker happy sending photos home and I wasn't stressed about the bill at all."
5/5 rating
"Working remotely for 180 days across 12 countries. HelloRoam's support team helped me fix a network issue twice. Both times they came back in under 10 minutes. That level of service is rare."
Alex Rivera5/5 rating
"Study abroad in Barcelona for a semester. HelloRoam kept me connected without wrecking my budget. Setup took 2 minutes and it worked perfectly for 4 months straight."
Emma Thompson
5/5 rating
"Honeymoon in Bali and Singapore. Zero stress with data the whole trip. It worked everywhere we went and support answered my questions the night before we flew. Highly recommend."
James & Lisa K.Download the app. Travel sorted.
Buy, activate, and track your eSIMs from any device, on any trip abroad.
FAQs
HelloRoam is a legitimate eSIM company run by Future Syncs Limited, a UK-registered business founded in 2025. HelloRoam is safe to use and fully compliant with South Africa's POPIA and ICASA consumer protection principles. Payments go through Stripe at PCI DSS Level 1 standard. HelloRoam sells prepaid eSIM data plans covering 175+ countries. Your QR code arrives within minutes of checkout, no physical SIM card required.
HelloRoam support is available 24/7 by live chat on the website, by email at support@helloroam.com, and through the in-app Help section. Email responses average under 2 hours. If something goes wrong after you land at OR Tambo or abroad at Heathrow, live chat is the fastest way to get sorted.
HelloRoam eSIM plans start from R 26,47 per day for a data-only plan. Fixed data packages start from R 26,47 for 3GB over 12 days, and unlimited daily plans are available for longer trips. Compared to Vodacom roaming at R29 per MB or MTN at R50 per day, HelloRoam rates save South African travellers a significant amount on popular routes to the UK, UAE, and Mauritius.
Most HelloRoam eSIM plans are data-only and do not include a local phone number or voice line. They give you fast internet for apps, maps, browsing, and WhatsApp calls abroad. Keep your primary Vodacom, MTN, or Cell C SIM active for calls and texts, then use the HelloRoam eSIM for data. Some plans do include a local number, so check the plan details before you buy.
Your South African number stays on your primary SIM when you add a HelloRoam eSIM for travel data. Most modern smartphones support dual SIM, so you run your SA number on one line and the HelloRoam data plan on the other. Turn off mobile data on your primary SIM to avoid getting charged twice. Family back in Joburg or Cape Town can still reach you, and you get affordable local data at your destination.
Many modern phones support two or more eSIM profiles at once. eSIM compatible phones include iPhones from XS onward, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, and Google Pixel 3 and later. You can store multiple plans and switch between them for different trips. Once an e-sim profile is installed on a device, it is tied to that hardware and cannot be moved. Contact HelloRoam support if you need to check reinstall options after a phone change.
HelloRoam eSIM profiles are tied to your device hardware and cannot be physically stolen the way a SIM card can. The GSMA eSIM standard requires encrypted provisioning and user authorisation for any profile transfer. HelloRoam encrypts all account data end-to-end. Enabling two-factor authentication on your HelloRoam account adds extra protection against unauthorised access.
HelloRoam does not share your location data with third parties. Like any mobile connection, your e SIM registers on a local carrier network to route data. HelloRoam stores only the data needed to run your plan, in line with GDPR and South Africa's POPIA. Running a VPN over your HelloRoam eSIM connection adds privacy for your browsing traffic while abroad.
The Samsung Galaxy M53 does not support eSIM. It has dual physical nano-SIM slots but no embedded eSIM chip. eSIM support in Samsung's range starts with the Galaxy S20 series and later flagships. To check your specific device, go to Settings, then Connections, then SIM card manager. If no Add eSIM option appears, your phone uses a physical SIM card only.
Adding a second eSIM to an iPhone takes about 2 minutes. Open Settings, tap Cellular, then Add eSIM, and scan the QR code HelloRoam sends after purchase. iPhones from XS (2018) onward support multiple eSIM profiles. Label each line so you know which handles data. Activate your HelloRoam plan before your flight so data is ready the moment you clear customs.
HelloRoam regional plans cover multiple countries in one purchase. A Europe plan covers 30 or more countries and is ideal for South Africans visiting the UK, France, or Italy on the same trip. Global plans reach over 100 destinations. Single-country plans cover one destination. Check the coverage list on any plan page to confirm which countries are included before you buy.
A HelloRoam eSIM connects to a local carrier network in your destination country, which removes Vodacom or MTN international roaming fees entirely. Keep your primary SA SIM active for calls. Turn off mobile data on it to avoid parallel charges. With this setup you get local data speeds in London, Dubai, Zanzibar, or Mauritius without a shock rand bill when you return home.
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