Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026, but the networks didn't wait. By 14 November Vodacom, MTN and Cell C were all running "Black November" promotions, and Telkom had loaded Black Friday prices into its online shop.
Every network says its deals are the best. You can only tell by putting the same phone side by side across all four, and that is what Vulo does. We read every network's whole catalogue, not just its Black Friday page, and list every price next to the others with the date we read it. We take no commission from any network, so none of them can pay to be listed higher.
Last updated: 14 November 2026. We read the whole live catalogues of Vodacom (7 629 listings), MTN (two reads), Cell C and Telkom's online shop that day. That came to 4 538 live phone deals on 95 phones.
What each network has launched
| Network | Black Friday status on 14 November | Lower prices on plain phones? |
|---|---|---|
| Telkom | Black Friday prices in its online shop on 9 phones, dated 15 November to 22 December 2026 | Yes: 43 prices cut, 6 new lower-priced deals |
| Cell C | Black Friday catalogue, 3 November to 1 December 2026 | Yes, since 3 November, but some prices went up |
| Vodacom | Black Friday page live, with no end date shown | No changes to plain phone prices yet |
| MTN | "November 2026 Deals" page, tagged Black November | No changes in MTN's plan data |
Telkom: the biggest cuts so far
Telkom has replaced the regular online listing for nine phones with a Black Friday one, on FlexOn 2, 4 and 6 plans. Every deal adds 50GB of once-off data and has a once-off R 99 activation fee. All prices below are 36 months, with the price we read on 12 November.
| Phone | Plan | 12 November | Black Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Z Flip8 256GB | FlexOn 4 (4GB) | R 999 | R 849 |
| Galaxy Z Flip8 256GB | FlexOn 2 (2GB) | not offered | R 799 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB | FlexOn 4 (4GB) | R 1 099 | R 1 049 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB | FlexOn 2 (2GB) | not offered | R 999 |
| Galaxy Z Fold8 256GB | FlexOn 6 (6GB) | R 1 599 | R 1 369 |
| Galaxy S26 FE 256GB | FlexOn 2 (2GB) | R 649 | R 599 |
| Honor 600 Lite S 256GB | FlexOn 2 (2GB) | R 459 | R 399 |
| Galaxy A37 256GB | FlexOn 2 (2GB) | R 399 | R 379 |
| Galaxy A27 128GB | FlexOn 2 (2GB) | R 289 | R 279 |
The 512GB OPPO Reno15 Pro (from R 749 to R 699 on FlexOn 2) and Huawei nova Y74 (from R 329 to R 309) are cut as well. On these nine phones Telkom's shop now offers only FlexOn 2 to 6. The bigger plans (FlexOn 8 and up, Infinite) are no longer listed online for them during the promotion. The Galaxy Z Fold8 FlexOn 4 is new as well, at R 1 299.
Telkom's Black Friday page also shows a Galaxy A27 at R 229 and an Honor X5D Plus S at R 189. Both are on PureFlex 150, an airtime plan with no fixed data, so we don't compare them with plans that come with a stated amount of data.
Cell C: prices down and up
Cell C's Black Friday catalogue has been live since 3 November. It cut the iPhone 17 Pro to R 1 049 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max to R 1 149, but raised the Galaxy A37 from R 349 to R 449 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra from R 1 149 to R 1 199. Its Black November page leads with the Galaxy S26 FE at R 649 and the Huawei nova 14 at R 299, both on Elevate 1+ over 36 months, and both match the prices we hold. On 14 November we also restored Cell C's Galaxy Z Flip8, from R 999 on Elevate 2+. Accessory bundles had been hiding it in our data.
Vodacom: bundles, not price cuts
Vodacom's Black Friday page leads with bundles: a Galaxy Z Flip8 sold with Galaxy Buds 4, two pre-owned iPhone 13s in one deal, and a 400GB data SIM. None is the price of the phone on its own, so we keep bundles out of the comparison. Across all 7 629 of Vodacom's listings on 14 November, the price of a plain phone on a plan had not changed since 12 November.
MTN: "from" prices to check
MTN's November deals page shows prices such as the Honor X5d s "from R 189" and the Galaxy A37 "from R 409". MTN's own plan data for those phones that day started at R 289 and R 429 on Yellow Core, the cheapest plan with a fixed data allowance. We can't see which plan the lower figures belong to, so we don't list them. MTN also advertises the Galaxy A36 at R 289 (was R 329). MTN's plan lookup refused that phone on every attempt we made that day, so we hold no MTN A36 price yet. MTN's "Upsize" offer adds 10GB of bonus data for six months on its Prime plan: on the Galaxy A37 it is 12GB instead of 2GB for the same R 479 a month over 36 months. That's more data, not a lower price.
The cheapest network for each phone, 14 November
Lowest monthly price open to new customers, over 36 months, with the total.
| Phone | Vodacom | MTN | Cell C | Telkom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB | R 1 249 (R 44 964) | - | R 1 199 (R 43 164) | R 999 (R 35 964) |
| Galaxy Z Flip8 256GB | R 999 (R 35 964) | - | R 999 (R 35 964) | R 799 (R 28 764) |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB | R 1 349 (R 48 564) | - | R 1 149 (R 41 364) | R 1 069 (R 38 484) |
| iPhone 18 Pro 256GB | R 1 299 (R 46 764) | - | R 1 249 (R 44 964) | R 1 119 (R 40 284) |
| Galaxy S26 256GB | R 749 (R 26 964) | - | R 899 (R 32 364) | R 699 (R 25 164) |
| Galaxy S26 FE 256GB | R 599 (R 21 564) | - | R 649 (R 23 364) | R 599 (R 21 564) |
| Galaxy A57 256GB | R 479 (R 17 244) | R 449 (R 16 164) | R 499 (R 17 964) | R 499 (R 17 964) |
| Galaxy A37 256GB | R 399 (R 14 364) | R 429 (R 15 444) | R 449 (R 16 164) | R 379 (R 13 644) |
| Huawei nova 14 256GB | - | - | R 299 (R 10 764) | R 399 (R 14 364) |
Bold is the lowest. A dash means we hold no price open to new customers for that phone at that network, not that the network doesn't sell it. MTN lists the iPhones, Galaxy S26, S26 FE and Z Flip8 as Upgrade Only in our data, so those are left out. The cheapest plans don't all include the same data, from 1GB to 6GB, so check the allowance on the results page. Telkom's Black Friday deals add a once-off R 99 activation fee, which isn't in the totals.
The gaps are large. Telkom's Black Friday Galaxy S26 Ultra is R 9 000 cheaper over 36 months than Vodacom's lowest, and its Z Flip8 is R 7 200 cheaper than Vodacom's or Cell C's.
How to use Vulo this Black Friday
- Search for the phone on the cellphone contracts page.
- Pick 24 or 36 months. A 24-month contract costs more a month but often less in total. Telkom's Black Friday S26 Ultra is R 1 349 over 24 months (R 32 376), against R 35 964 over 36.
- Sort by lowest total cost, then narrow it by network or monthly budget.
- Tick two deals to compare data, minutes and total side by side.
- Check the date on the price. In a sale, last week's figure can already be out of date.
Already on a contract? The switch-cost calculator shows whether leaving early for a Black Friday deal saves you anything.
Keep checking
We'll keep reading every network's whole catalogue through Black Friday and into December, and update this page and our listings as prices move. For the prices to beat and what has changed since October, see Black Friday 2026 phone contract deals. For why comparing matters, read why you should compare deals before Black Friday.
- Telkom's Black Friday prices are dated 15 November to 22 December 2026.
- Cell C's Black Friday catalogue ends on 1 December 2026.
- We compare deals open to new customers. Upgrade-only prices, bundles and airtime plans are kept out of the comparison.
- Prices change. Check the figure on the day you sign.
Compare Black Friday phone deals on Vulo →
Sources. Each network's own live catalogue, read on 14 November 2026: Vodacom and Cell C whole, MTN twice, and Telkom's online shop. Also each network's own Black Friday or Black November page that day. Only deals open to new customers are compared. Totals and differences are our own arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
- Which networks have Black Friday 2026 phone deals?
- All four. On 14 November 2026 Vodacom, MTN and Cell C were running Black November promotions and Telkom had Black Friday prices in its online shop. Cell C's Black Friday catalogue runs from 3 November to 1 December 2026, and Telkom's online Black Friday prices are dated 15 November to 22 December 2026.
- Which network has the best Black Friday deal on the Galaxy S26 Ultra?
- Telkom, on 14 November 2026. Its Black Friday price for the 256GB Galaxy S26 Ultra is R 999 a month over 36 months on FlexOn 2 (2GB), or R 35 964 in total. Cell C's lowest is R 1 199 (R 43 164) and Vodacom's R 1 249 (R 44 964), so Telkom is R 9 000 cheaper over the contract than Vodacom.
- Is Telkom's Black Friday Galaxy Z Flip8 deal cheaper than Vodacom and Cell C?
- Yes. Telkom lists the 256GB Galaxy Z Flip8 at R 799 a month over 36 months (R 28 764) from 15 November 2026. Vodacom and Cell C both list it at R 999 (R 35 964), which is R 7 200 more over the contract.
- Did Vodacom and MTN cut their phone contract prices for Black Friday?
- Not by 14 November 2026. We read Vodacom's 7 629 listings and both reads of MTN's catalogue that day and found no price changes. Vodacom's Black Friday page leads with accessory bundles and a data SIM. MTN's promotions page shows 'from' prices, but MTN's own plan data gave no price that low for those phones.
- Is a Black Friday 'from' price the real monthly price?
- Not always. Some of the lowest headline prices are on airtime plans with no fixed data, such as Telkom's PureFlex 150 (Galaxy A27 at R 229) and MTN's Mega Flex. Vulo compares plans with a stated data allowance, so a PureFlex price is not set against a FlexOn or Yellow plan.
- How do I compare Black Friday phone deals on Vulo?
- Open Vulo's cellphone contracts page, search for the phone, choose 24 or 36 months and sort by lowest total cost. Every price shows the date we read it from the network. Vulo takes no commission from any network.
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