How to make your gigs stretch without changing networks

Data prices in South Africa are basically a national sport. Every month feels like a new hustle: keep the gigs alive until payday without rage-quitting your SIM card.

Good news: you don’t need to go through the admin of porting to another network. With a few smart tweaks, you can make those gigs last longer than the party you told yourself would be “early night only”.

Know who the thief is

Every bundle has its villain. Sometimes it’s Instagram auto-loading Reels, TikTok autoplay, or your phone sneakily updating apps in the background while you’re sleeping. The good news is, both iOS and Android phones let you check exactly which apps are the biggest hogs. Hunt them down, and cut them off.

Lock the back door

Background data is basically leaving your fridge open overnight. Switch it off. On Android, you’ll find it in Data Usage settings. On iPhone, kill Wi-Fi Assist so it doesn’t “helpfully” switch to mobile data every time the Wi-Fi stutters.

This isn’t about chasing promos or magical apps, but about getting your data to work for you, not the other way round.

Milk the Wi-Fi

If you’re still streaming entire playlists or downloading series on data, you’re tipping your ISP. Queue downloads on Wi-Fi, either at home, work, or your favourite coffee spot. Public projects like SA Connect mean more hotspots are popping up at schools, clinics and libraries. Some even offer unlimited from R249/month, which isn't bad at all.

Bundles are your besties

Networks have started giving people more targeted packs. Vodacom’s NXT LVL deal offers 4 GB + 4 GB social + 12 GB Night Owl for R49 a week. MTN’s Bozzagigs throws 7.5 GB + 7.5 GB for R129 a month. It’s not free Wi-Fi, but it’s cheaper than crying at the till when your bundle “unexpectedly” disappears.

Future-proof yourself

ICASA is phasing out 2G and 3G by 2027 to free up spectrum for 4G and 5G. Translation: eventually, faster internet should mean better value. MTN already launched a budget 5G smartphone at R2,499 to nudge people off older tech. No need to panic yet—your gigs still work, but the clock’s ticking.

Your gigs don’t vanish because you picked the ‘wrong’ network. It vanish because TikTok is playing on repeat while you sleep.

Stretching gigs isn’t glamorous; it’s toggling settings, grabbing Wi-Fi like it’s free samp, and choosing bundles that actually fit your lifestyle. Forget switching SIMs every month. Instead, make the data you have work smarter, and you’ll survive the end-of-month crunch with gigs to spare.