While fans have been picketing for #DataMustFall for what seems like eternity‚ MTN have u-turned on a decision to lower the price of their WhatsApp data bundles‚ and the social media streets are not impressed.
MTN announced this week that they would increase the price of the bundles from R10 to R30‚ after the initial demand for the cheaper bundle nearly crippled their system.
The company took to social media to explain that they had made the increase in order to keep the 3G lights on.
“The public response to MTN’s WhatsApp bundles have been exceptional. Unfortunately‚ due to a 300% increase in WhatsApp usage‚ the 3G network is under pressure. For this reason‚ MTN’s 1GB Monthly WhatsApp bundle will be repriced from R10 to R30‚” MTN said on Twitter.
They went on to claim that certain people will still have the data priced at R10 but these were people mostly with feature phones.
“However‚ the most vulnerable South Africans that are currently spending less than R10 on WhatsApp per month‚ will be protected from the change and will still have access to this low cost WhatsApp bundle. These customers‚ who are primarily using feature phones on the 3G network‚ will still have access to a WhatsApp bundle at R10 a month.”
But the news hit social media fans like a bomb‚ with some even joking that the people who decide on the petrol price or the president were the real reason behind the change.
https://twitter.com/–AyandaN/status/1018886661021761536
I am trying to figure out how MTN whatsapp data #Automatically increased with R20.. 1+1=2 , 2+2 =3… Okay now I get it… pic.twitter.com/X66HwizwBf
— Milly (@Ms_Phaladi) July 16, 2018
#ThinkItsTimeThat We send someone else because Ramaphosa is either lost or went a wrong way!
*Petrol increase
*MTN data price increase
*This winter is the coldest
*He doesn't even sing for us 😑 pic.twitter.com/bkalxspCJ6— Menzi Zondi (@VanBellz) July 16, 2018
I blame Ramaphosa for this…ever since we sent him everything is expensive… Now he influenced MTN to increase data prices…yohh hai pic.twitter.com/AYkzz7KRsq
— KARABO (@GIGIKAYNKUTHA) July 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/Trevornoah–––/status/1018835238351523841
https://twitter.com/MahlanguNnana/status/1018784355592953856
Some even held funerals for their MTN sim cards‚ as they went shopping for other networks.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂R.I.P mtn with your R30 whatsapp data pic.twitter.com/JQMbZNHVhr
— Spha● (@Sphantsimango) July 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/amahlemzumbe–sa/status/1018945552023801856
Maybe the solution is a stokvel for data bundles?
Guys is it too early to be thinking of starting Stokvels for Data bundles since MTN and Ramaphosa are screwing us over like this😢😢 Petrol izonyuka futhi and Free twitter seems to be on the verge of….cant even say it😂😂😂
— Sifundo Sihle Zuma (@CeekayMathers) July 16, 2018
By Kyle Zeeman