Vodacom has revealed a new set of benefits known as “Free4Sho”, which includes the slashing of voice call prices as part of the telecom’s latest swipe against rival Cell C.
The highlight of the Free4Sho range of products and services will be a new prepaid pricing plan, known as Vodacom Daily Free Calls, which slashes voice call prices to R1.20 per minute to any network.
Under the new pricing plan – effective from February 10 – on-network calls will only be charged for the first three minutes, with the rest of the hour free.
“Vodacom Daily Free Calls is simple, easy to use and offers great value to our customers. Customers will pay as little as 6 cents per minute and this not a promotional offer, it’s a brand new prepaid price plan suitable for customers who make longer calls,” said Shameel Joosub, chief executive officer of Vodacom.
“Our slogan is ‘There’s free. Then there’s Free4Sho’ and that’s because our customers will receive free benefits, guaranteed. So whenever customers see ‘Free4Sho’ they can always expect extra value free of charge”,” Joosub.
The move sees Vodacom continue its price war with rival network operator Cell C, headed up by ex-Vodacom CEO Alan Knott-Craig Snr. Cell C has recently ramped-up its assault on competitors, launching a number of new pricing offers, including its 99 cents per minute prepaid price plan, in a bid to undercut the market.
The company has also rolled-out its “Supercharge” strategy, under which customers receive free minutes, SMS’s and data each time they top-up, prompting a similar response from Vodacom.
Taking the war to a legal arena, Cell C this week launched a marketing campaign calling for the allowance of comparative marketing under South African law, whereby operators would be allowed to explicitly compare prices between rival companies in advertising campaigns.
MTN is also looking to attract new customers through deals, with HumanIPO reporting earlier today on the revival of Mahala Thursdays.
