South Sudan eSIM

Staying connected in South Sudan

The easiest way to get online in South Sudan is to install a travel eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land in Juba. AirOva sells South Sudan plans from $16.99, all with a fixed amount of data. They are data only: there are no unlimited plans, no call minutes or SMS and no local number. The eSIM connects to MTN; each plan card shows whether it is listed as 4G or 5G.

Which South Sudan plan to choose

Every South Sudan plan is a GB plan, so pick the size by how you use your phone: messaging, email and maps take little data, while video calls, photo backup, app updates and large uploads take the most. Save big downloads for Wi-Fi; our guide to saving mobile data abroad lists the settings worth changing.

MTN and coverage in South Sudan

South Sudan has three mobile operators: MTN, Zain and Digitel, which launched in 2021. MTN is the largest, with more than 60% of mobile subscriptions at the end of 2024; AirOva plans run on MTN. Coverage is thin outside the main towns: as of 2023 about 35% of the population had no basic 2G coverage and only around 15% was within reach of a 4G signal, according to ITU figures. Mobile broadband is most widespread in Juba, Wau and Malakal.

Arriving at Juba International

Most visitors arrive at Juba International Airport (JUB), about 5 km northeast of the city centre; it is one of the country's two international airports, the other being Malakal. Install the eSIM over Wi-Fi at home before you fly. After landing, turn off airplane mode, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line; the data is prepaid, so roaming adds no charge. Keep roaming off on your home SIM.

Travelling beyond Juba

Across much of the country 2G voice networks still predominate, and many areas have no internet access or only slow, unreliable connections. MTN is extending into rural areas: in July 2025 it opened a site in Abuyong, Lakes State, where people had gone years without mobile service, and it aims to cover 90% of the population under its 15-year licence. Expect stretches without data between towns.

Tip: do data-heavy tasks in Juba: download offline maps and work files and send large uploads before you head out. Keep your home SIM in for bank codes with its roaming off, and carry a power bank.