Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on 30 November. Phone contract "deals" are easy to announce and hard to judge, so before the offers land we recorded the lowest price each network lists today for the most searched phones. If a Black Friday price is not below the figures here, it is not a deal. We use 36 months and 256GB unless we say otherwise, and only deals open to new customers.
Last updated: 22 October 2026. We checked the live catalogues of Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom that day and every price below matched. We will update this page as offers appear.
The prices to beat, 36 months
Lowest monthly price listed on each network, with the data on that plan. A dash means we hold no open price for that phone on that network, which is not the same as the network not selling it.
| Phone, 256GB | Vodacom | MTN | Cell C | Telkom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 | R899 (no fixed data) | - | - | R829 (4GB) |
| iPhone 17 Pro | R1 249 (5GB) | - | R1 149 (3GB) | R979 (6GB) |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | R1 349 (5GB) | - | R1 249 (3GB) | - |
| iPhone 18 Pro | R1 299 (10GB) | - | - | R1 119 (6GB) |
| Galaxy S26 | R749 (3GB) | - | - | R699 (2GB, size not recorded) |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | R1 249 (5GB) | - | R1 149 (3GB) | R1 099 (4GB) |
| Galaxy A57 | R479 (1GB) | R449 (1GB) | R479 (1.5GB) | R499 (2GB, size not recorded) |
| Galaxy A37 | R429 (1GB) | R399 (1GB) | R349 (1.5GB) | R399 (2GB, size not recorded) |
Bold is the lowest monthly price. The plans are not identical, so the cheapest monthly price is not always the best fit: see the data in brackets. MTN's iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro and Galaxy S26 are only listed as Upgrade Only in our data, so they are left out, and we hold no MTN price for the other phones in the first six rows.
What those prices add up to
| Phone, 256GB | Cheapest over 36 months | Dearest over 36 months | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro | R35 244 (Telkom) | R44 964 (Vodacom) | R9 720 |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | R44 964 (Cell C) | R48 564 (Vodacom) | R3 600 |
| iPhone 18 Pro | R40 284 (Telkom) | R46 764 (Vodacom) | R6 480 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | R39 564 (Telkom) | R44 964 (Vodacom) | R5 400 |
| Galaxy S26 | R25 164 (Telkom) | R26 964 (Vodacom) | R1 800 |
| Galaxy A57 | R16 164 (MTN) | R17 964 (Telkom) | R1 800 |
| Galaxy A37 | R12 564 (Cell C) | R15 444 (Vodacom) | R2 880 |
Totals are the monthly price times 36, with no upfront payment recorded. The networks differ most on the iPhone 17 Pro: R9 720 between the cheapest and dearest, before any Black Friday discount.
How to judge a Black Friday offer
- Do the sum. Monthly price times months, then compare it with the table. A "save R300" headline that leaves the total above the figure here is no saving.
- Match phone, storage and term. A 128GB or 24-month price is not comparable with a 256GB, 36-month one.
- Check the data. The same price buys 1GB at one network and 6GB at another. A bonus of "free data" for a few months is not the same as a lower price.
- Read what is free. An accessory, voucher or airtime bundle is not a discount on the phone. We do not count them as a lower monthly price.
- Check who it is for. Some offers are only for existing customers or upgrades. We list those separately.
- Look at the term. A 24-month contract usually costs less in total. For the 256GB Galaxy S26 Ultra at Vodacom it is R40 776 over 24 months against R44 964 over 36.
What to expect
Black Friday offers usually arrive as a lower monthly price on selected phones, extra data or a free accessory. We cannot tell you in advance which. What we can do is read each network's whole catalogue every day and update our phone contract listings and this page when a price moves, so you can compare against what was true the day before.
To see how a contract's total cost adds up, read our total-cost guide. For one phone in detail, see iPhone 18 Pro contract prices, Galaxy S26 contract prices and the cheapest iPhone contract.
What to watch for
- These are today's prices, not Black Friday prices. We have not seen a Black Friday offer on any network yet.
- Prices move. We checked all four networks on 22 October 2026. Check the figure on the day.
- Some Telkom deals have no storage size recorded. We show them but do not treat them as a like-for-like 256GB comparison.
- We show the lowest listed plan. It is not a like-for-like comparison of data.
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Sources. Each network's own live catalogue: Vodacom, MTN and Cell C read on 22 October 2026, and Telkom's online shop the same day. Only deals open to new customers are used. Totals and differences are our own arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Black Friday 2026 in South Africa?
- Black Friday falls on Friday 27 November 2026, and Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November. Networks often start their offers earlier in November, so deals can appear before the day itself.
- How do I know if a Black Friday phone contract deal is real?
- Compare the total over the contract, not the headline. Multiply the monthly price by the number of months and compare it with today's lowest price for the same phone, storage and term. For example, the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro is R979 a month over 36 months (R35 244) at Telkom, R1 149 (R41 364) at Cell C and R1 249 (R44 964) at Vodacom.
- What is the cheapest iPhone 17 Pro contract right now?
- In our data the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro is cheapest at Telkom: R979 a month over 36 months (R35 244), on FlexOn 6 with 6GB. Cell C is R1 149 with 3GB and Vodacom R1 249 with 5GB. These were checked on 22 October 2026 and may change in the sales.
- Is a 24-month contract cheaper than 36 months on Black Friday?
- In total, usually yes: the monthly price is higher but you pay for fewer months. For example, the 256GB Galaxy S26 Ultra at Vodacom is R1 699 over 24 months (R40 776) against R1 249 over 36 (R44 964), so the longer contract costs R4 188 more.
- Will Vulo show Black Friday deals?
- Yes. We read each network's whole live catalogue and update this page and our phone listings as the offers appear. Every price we show is a published figure with the date we read it.
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