eSIM guide · Remote work
eSIM for Digital Nomads: Working Abroad With Your SA Number On
An eSIM for digital nomads gives you mobile data in each country its plan covers, with no SIM shop queue at every border. Install it before you leave SA, top up a country plan in the app when data runs low, and choose a regional or global plan for routes across borders. Check each stop against HelloRoam's 185+ destinations.
Data plans from R 16,79 · 1GB, 7-day plan
eSIM key facts for digital nomads From our plans and help guides; numbers link to sources
- Data running low abroad
- Top up in our app, puts more data on the same eSIM, with no new QR code
- New QR code after an eSIM top-up
- None, The same eSIM keeps going
- eSIMs for a regional route
- One, Across the borders its plan covers
- eSIM lines using data at once
- One, On an iPhone with Dual SIM(1)
- Hours our eSIM support answers
- 24/7, WhatsApp or email
- One eSIM across many regions
- 127, destinations, all on our global plan
- HelloRoam works across
- 185+ destinations, 212+ partner networks
Months on the road call for an eSIM with coverage, top-ups and round-the-clock support
A digital nomad works online while living in one country after another. Your data has to last through long stays and cross borders with you. 6 checks show whether an eSIM is up to it.
What should I check before buying an eSIM for long-term travel?
A good eSIM for a nomad route covers every stop, lets you top up the same eSIM and allows hotspot use. It should also sell regional and global plans, publish its fair-use terms and offer support at any hour. HelloRoam sells plans for 185+ destinations, and our global plan alone reaches 127. Every plan allows hotspot use, and support answers 24/7.
- 1
Every country on your route
Open the plan page for each country you will live in and confirm it is listed. A plan works only in the countries it names.
- 2
One eSIM, topped up as you go
A top-up puts more data on the eSIM you already have, so there's no new install or QR code each time your data runs low.
- 3
A regional plan for border crossings
One regional plan covers several countries, so the same eSIM keeps working when you cross between them. Check that every stop on your route is on its list.
- 4
Hotspot for your laptop
Your phone can share its mobile data with a laptop through Personal Hotspot.(2) Every plan we sell allows hotspot use, so check that any other seller allows it too.
- 5
Fair-use terms you can read
On our unlimited plans, fair-use terms apply. Read them on the plan page before you count on one for months.
- 6
Support when you need it
You may land late at night with no data. Pick a seller whose support answers around the clock, not only in office hours.
Your phone also needs to support eSIM and be unlocked, meaning it isn't tied to one network.(1) On iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About: No SIM Restrictions next to Network Provider Lock means it's unlocked.(3) Check eSIM support on your phone before you choose a plan.
A month with 20 GB starts at R 240,58 in 4 bases on our list
This table shows what 30, 60 and 90 days of data cost on our plans in each base and on our global plan. Each cell counts the plans you buy, since you buy the next one before the last ends. Keep each new eSIM's line off until the plan before it ends, so no days overlap.
| Your home base | Our plan | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon (Portugal) | 20GB, 30-day plan | R 240,58 1 plan purchased | R 481,16 2 plans purchased | R 721,74 3 plans purchased |
| Lisbon (Portugal) | Unlimited data, 30-day plan | R 1 030,78 1 plan purchased | R 2 061,56 2 plans purchased | R 3 092,33 3 plans purchased |
| Bali (Indonesia) | 20GB, 30-day plan | R 513,27 1 plan purchased | R 1 026,54 2 plans purchased | R 1 539,81 3 plans purchased |
| Bali (Indonesia) | Unlimited data, 30-day plan | R 1 160,52 1 plan purchased | R 2 321,04 2 plans purchased | R 3 481,57 3 plans purchased |
| Chiang Mai (Thailand) | 20GB, 30-day plan | R 260,63 1 plan purchased | R 521,26 2 plans purchased | R 781,89 3 plans purchased |
| Chiang Mai (Thailand) | Unlimited data, 30-day plan | R 1 233,54 1 plan purchased | R 2 467,09 2 plans purchased | R 3 700,63 3 plans purchased |
| Mexico City (Mexico) | 20GB, 30-day plan | R 603,41 1 plan purchased | R 1 206,81 2 plans purchased | R 1 810,22 3 plans purchased |
| Mexico City (Mexico) | Unlimited data, 30-day plan | R 1 120,59 1 plan purchased | R 2 241,18 2 plans purchased | R 3 361,76 3 plans purchased |
| Our global plan for 127 destinations | 1GB, 365-day plan | R 428,35 1 plan purchased | R 428,35 1 plan purchased | R 428,35 1 plan purchased |
Our 1GB global plan runs for 365 days. It suits a backup line for arrival days, not a month of remote work.
On a long stay, you buy your next plan before the current one ends
Our country plans run 7 or 30 days, and an unlimited plan runs up to 30 days per purchase. The days start when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you install it. To stay longer, buy the next plan before the end date.
In our app, Top up puts more data on the eSIM you already have, with no new QR code. You'll see it on the eSIM's card when the plan can take more data.
Follow the top-up steps in the app before the end date, because an expired eSIM can't take a top-up. For more days, buy your next plan before that date: it arrives as a second eSIM with its own QR code. Install it over Wi-Fi and leave its line off, because its days start only when it first connects. When the first plan ends, switch on the new line and its data roaming, then choose it for mobile data.
Plan the first stretch, not the whole year: buy for your first weeks, then buy the next plan once you know your usage. Unlimited plans carry fair-use terms, so read them before a month of daily video calls.
| What changes | Country data plan | Unlimited plan | Regional plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits | A long base in one country | Heavy daily data use | A route through several countries |
| When it runs low | Top up data on the same eSIM, if the plan allows | Buy your next plan before this one's end date | No Top up button on its card? Buy a new plan |
| Crossing a border | Works only in that country, so add a plan for the next | Works only where its plan lists | Keeps working in every country on its list |
| Note | Unused data joins the top-up | Fair-use terms apply | Check the country list before you buy |
Wi-Fi for uploads, eSIM data for chat and maps, and your SA line for bank PINs
Use mobile data as your backup when the café or co-working Wi-Fi drops, and save heavy uploads for Wi-Fi.
Local network Speed varies by place
On this phone
Your phone Data in, hotspot out
Your laptop Joins the hotspot
| Work task | Example apps | Better on |
|---|---|---|
| Video calls | Zoom, Google Meet, Teams | Wi-Fi, with mobile data as backup |
| Email and team chat | Gmail, Slack, WhatsApp | Mobile data |
| Big file uploads | Google Drive, Dropbox | Wi-Fi where you can |
| Phone backups | iCloud, Google One | Wi-Fi |
| App and system updates | App Store, Google Play | Wi-Fi |
| Maps and ride apps | Google Maps, Uber, Bolt | Mobile data |
| Music and video streaming | Spotify, YouTube | Wi-Fi, or download before you go |
Hotspot for your laptop
Turn on your phone's hotspot, and your laptop, tablet or a travel partner's phone joins it like any Wi-Fi network.(2)(5) Every plan we sell allows hotspot use, and each device draws on the same plan's data. Pause laptop updates and cloud sync before you start. Read how a travel eSIM works as a hotspot.
Video calls and uploads
Video calls run over the local mobile network, and speed changes with the place and the network. Don't count on 5G, and test a call before a client meeting. Save big uploads and updates for Wi-Fi, and estimate a week of call data before you pick a plan size.
Bank codes and your home number
Your SA SIM keeps your number for calls, SMS and bank codes, while the travel eSIM carries your data. Our plans are data-only, with no phone number of their own. WhatsApp keeps working on your SA number over the eSIM's data.(6)
On iPhone, set Default Voice Line to your SA number and keep that line on, so SMS codes reach you.(1) Set Mobile Data to the travel eSIM's line, then turn off Allow Mobile Data Switching and Data Roaming on the SA line.(1)(7) On Vodacom, a used-up All For You bundle repeats while data keeps flowing on that line.(8) See how calls and SMS work with a travel eSIM.
Routes across borders need a plan that lists every stop
A nomad route can mean months in one base, then a weekend over the border. Your eSIM works only where its plan has coverage, so map the route before you buy.
Our Europe plan covers 33 destinations, Portugal among them, and our Asia plan covers 19, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. The Southeast Asia plan covers only Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, so check its list before Bali or Vietnam. Mexico City sits on our North America plan, and our Africa plan lists Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt but not Mozambique. Check every stop against the plan's country list before you buy, and add a country plan for any it misses.
Each country sets its own entry, stay and visa rules for South African passport holders, so check them with its embassy or high commission before each move. DIRCO's consular officers help South Africans in an emergency abroad, but they don't arrange visas or work permits for you.(9)
Our global plan reaches 127 destinations on one eSIM
Heading from one region to the next? Our global plan keeps one eSIM going in every destination it lists, even Georgia, which none of our regional plans covers. For a month in a single base, compare its price with a country plan first.
Bases for remote work
South African lines roam on each network's own terms
Over months abroad, your SA network's own roaming terms decide what your home line costs, so read them before you go.(8)(10) Keep the line on for SMS codes, and switch its data roaming off if you don't need it.
4 roaming options from SA networks
- Vodacom
- All For You bundles billed once you're roaming, and a used-up bundle repeats at the same size while you keep using data.(8)
- MTN
- Hello World data bundles bought with *136#, after you activate roaming 7 days before you leave.(11)
- Cell C
- Prepaid International Roaming on by default for prepaid and Top-Up lines in participating countries, billed per minute, per message and per MB.(10)
- Telkom
- International Roaming arranged by form at least 7 days before you travel, not through USSD or the app.(12)
To weigh each option against a travel eSIM, read our eSIM vs roaming guide.
Months in one country can make a local SIM worth buying
Months in one country can make a local network's plan worth it, especially if you need a local number.(3)
Many local plans come with a local phone number, and some local networks sell them as eSIMs.(3) If you buy in a shop after you land, bring your passport: depending on local rules, the shop may ask for ID.(3)
A travel eSIM still covers your arrival days and any border trips while you sort out a local line. For the costs, read our local SIM and eSIM cost guide.
Buying for a travelling team means one eSIM per person
A team lead can buy an eSIM for each colleague, and each traveller installs it on their own phone.
One eSIM for each traveller
Stay signed in when you buy. Every QR code and its setup steps land in your account email, so forward each one to the colleague who'll use it.
Each eSIM goes on its user's phone
Each eSIM works on one phone and can't be moved once installed, so each person installs their own.
Top-ups from the buyer's account
When a colleague runs low, open My eSIM in your app and tap Top up on their eSIM, if the plan takes top-ups.
Buying for several people? Write to help@helloroam.com about a group order, and our team answers 24/7.
Ask us about a team orderIf someone switches phones, support can issue a new eSIM only while the old one hasn't yet connected to a supported network at the destination. Read what happens when you change phones.
eSIM questions from digital nomads
What happens to my data at a border my eSIM plan doesn't cover?
Your data stops once you cross into a country the plan doesn't list, so add a plan for that country before the border. A regional plan covers every country on its list, and if your route crosses regions, our global plan covers 127 destinations on one eSIM. Check the country list before you buy, and again before a side trip.
How do I stay online for months at a time overseas?
Buy a plan for your first month, then buy the next one before it ends. The next plan is a new eSIM, so install it early and keep its line off until the first plan ends, as its days start at first connection. If data runs low, tap Top up before the end date, if the plan takes top-ups.
Will eSIM data hold up for remote work while travelling?
Yes, as a backup line beside Wi-Fi. A travel eSIM runs on local mobile networks, and speed changes with the place and the network. Keep Wi-Fi for big uploads and long calls, and switch to the eSIM when the Wi-Fi drops. Each destination page lists the networks its plan uses, so check yours before you go.
Can I buy eSIMs for colleagues who travel for work?
Yes. Stay signed in, check out once for each colleague and forward each QR code to the person who'll use it, because each eSIM works on one phone only. To add data later, tap Top up on their eSIM in your own app, if the plan takes top-ups. For a group order, write to our team at help@helloroam.com.
Compare before you choose an eSIM
Pages we checked for this guide
We cite Apple's and Google's help pages, WhatsApp's help centre, South African networks' own roaming pages and DIRCO.
We checked sources 1 to 5 and 7 to 12 on , and source 6 on .
- 1
Apple Support: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM
- 2
Apple Support: Connect to the Personal Hotspot of an iPhone or iPad
- 3
Apple Support: Use eSIM while travelling internationally with your iPhone
- 4
Apple Support: Set up eSIM on iPhone
- 5
Android Help: Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android
- 6
WhatsApp Help Center: About data roaming charges
- 7
Apple Support: Use mobile data on your iPhone or iPad
- 8
Vodacom: All For You bundles
- 9
DIRCO: Consular Services
- 10
- 11
- 12
