iPhone Duo Contract Prices in South Africa: From R1 699 a Month on Telkom, R1 999 on Vodacom

The iPhone Duo starts at R1 699 a month on contract for new customers, at Telkom, and at R1 999 at Vodacom. We read the whole catalogues of Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom. Telkom's online shop lists the phone in four storage sizes (read 25 October 2026) and Vodacom's carries 80 deals (read 22 October). MTN lists it as well, but only as Upgrade Only deals for existing MTN customers. We use 36 months unless we say otherwise.

The cheapest way to get one

Telkom, on its cheapest plan for the phone (FlexOn 6, 6GB):

Storage	24 months	36 months	Total over 36 months
256GB	R2 409 a month	R1 699	R61 164
512GB	R2 619	R1 839	R66 204
1TB	R3 049	R2 129	R76 644
2TB	R3 689	R2 549	R91 764

Vodacom, on its cheapest plan for the phone (RED Core 5GB):

Storage	24 months	36 months	Total over 36 months
256GB	R2 699 a month	R1 999	R71 964
512GB	R2 999	R2 199	R79 164
1TB	R3 499	R2 499	R89 964
2TB	R4 199	R2 999	R107 964

Over 36 months Telkom is R300 a month cheaper on the 256GB (R10 800 in total), R360 on the 512GB (R12 960), R370 on the 1TB (R13 320) and R450 on the 2TB (R16 200). The plans are not identical: FlexOn 6 has 6GB, 150 all-network minutes and 1 000 SMS plus unlimited Telkom-to-Telkom calls, against 5GB on RED Core. Telkom lists a R99 once-off activation fee and its Apple deal, which adds 50GB of once-off data, is shown as running until 6 November 2026. The whole price is one monthly amount: no upfront payment is recorded for any of these deals.

More data on Telkom

The 256GB over 36 months:

Telkom plan	Data	36 months	Total
FlexOn 6	6GB	R1 699	R61 164
FlexOn 8	8GB	R1 749	R62 964
FlexOn 10	10GB	R1 829	R65 844
Infinite	15GB, then 1.5Mbps	R1 959	R70 524
Infinite Max	30GB, then 1.5Mbps	R2 129	R76 644
Infinite Max Plus	60GB, then 5Mbps	R2 659	R95 724

Telkom's FlexOn 10 (R1 829) is R220 a month cheaper than Vodacom's RED Core 10GB (R2 049) for the same 256GB phone.

24 months or 36 months

On Telkom the 36-month contract costs R3 348 more than 24 months on the 256GB (R61 164 against R57 816). The Vodacom figures:

Storage	Total over 24 months	Total over 36 months	36 months costs
256GB	R64 776	R71 964	R7 188 more
512GB	R71 976	R79 164	R7 188 more
1TB	R83 976	R89 964	R5 988 more
2TB	R100 776	R107 964	R7 188 more

The longer contract saves R700 to R1 200 a month and costs R5 988 to R7 188 more in the end.

What a bigger phone costs

On RED Core 5GB over 36 months:

Step	Extra per month	Extra over 36 months
256GB to 512GB	R200	R7 200
512GB to 1TB	R300	R10 800
1TB to 2TB	R500	R18 000

Each step costs more than the last. The 2TB is R1 000 a month, or R36 000 over 36 months, dearer than the 256GB.

What more data costs

The 256GB on a RED Core plan:

Plan	24 months	36 months
RED Core 5GB	R2 699	R1 999
RED Core 10GB	R2 749	R2 049
RED Core 20GB	R2 849	R2 149

Going from 5GB to 20GB is R150 a month, or R5 400 over 36 months. More data costs far less than more storage.

The dearer plans

256GB plan	24 months	36 months
Red Flexi 320	R2 749	R2 049
RED VIP 50GB	R3 149	R2 449
RED VIP 100GB	R3 349	R2 649
RED VIP 200GB	R3 649	R2 949

RED VIP 100GB is R650 a month, or R23 400 over 36 months, dearer than RED Core 5GB for the same phone. Red Flexi is a rand-value airtime and data bundle, so it has no fixed data allowance and we cannot compare it per gigabyte. Vodacom also lists "Top Up" versions of the RED Core plans, which are R30 a month dearer than the plain plan with the same data.

Against the Galaxy Z Fold8

Phone, 256GB, RED Core 5GB, Vodacom	36 months	Total
iPhone Duo	R1 999	R71 964
Galaxy Z Fold8	R1 599	R57 564

The Duo is R400 a month, or R14 400, more than the Fold8. See foldable phone contract prices for the Fold8 across all four networks. The Fold8 price was read on 16 October, the Duo on 22 October.

Contract or cash

iStore's reported cash price for the 256GB is R47 999. The 36-month contract totals R71 964 on Vodacom, which is R23 965 more than paying cash, and R61 164 on Telkom, R13 165 more. The 24-month contract totals R64 776 on Vodacom (R16 777 more) and R57 816 on Telkom (R9 817 more). That gap is what the monthly price pays for the phone plus the plan, so compare it with what your plan alone would cost. We have not checked the cash price ourselves.

What to watch for

• Telkom and Vodacom are open to new customers. MTN lists the 256GB iPhone Duo as Upgrade Only, from R1 849 a month over 36 months (R66 564) on Yellow Deluxe with 6GB, and it is not available to people new to MTN. Cell C listed no iPhone Duo when we read its catalogue on 25 October. That can change.
• Telkom's offer has an end date. Its shop shows the Apple deal running until 6 November 2026. We do not know the price after that, so check it.
• Prices move. We read Telkom on 25 October 2026 and Vodacom on 22 October. Check the figure on the day.
• Totals are our own arithmetic: the monthly price times the number of months. See how a contract's total cost adds up.

How to compare

1. Choose the storage first. It is the biggest part of the price.
2. Start on the cheapest plan and add data only if you need it.
3. Compare the total, and look at 24 and 36 months side by side.
4. Check the cash price and what your plan alone would cost.

Compare phone contracts on Vulo →

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Sources. Telkom's online shop, read on 25 October 2026; Vodacom's own live catalogue, read on 22 October 2026; MTN's and Cell C's read on 25 October 2026. The cash price is as reported for iStore and has not been verified by us. Totals and differences are our own arithmetic.