In a move that will undoubtedly impact South African households and small businesses, Telkom has announced that it will raise its tariffs across its fixed broadband and voice services.

The price hikes are set to take effect on April 1, 2025, and will apply to both consumer and small-to-medium business (SMB) customers.

This comes as part of the company’s response to increasing operational costs and the broader economic challenges facing the country.

Why the Price Increases Are Necessary

Telkom explained that the decision to adjust tariffs stems from a combination of rising inflation, escalating energy costs, and a weakened exchange rate.

These macroeconomic pressures have made it increasingly expensive for the company to deliver its services. “

South Africa continues to face economic challenges, including rising inflation, increasing energy costs, and a weakened exchange rate, all of which put pressure on businesses across various sectors,” Telkom stated.

As a result, they argue that these tariff increases are necessary to maintain service quality while managing operational costs.

What’s Changing for Consumers

Starting on April 1, 2025, customers can expect significant increases in their monthly bills.

For consumer broadband services, tariffs will rise by 6% on average for fibre packages, while DSL services will see a 12% hike.

Meanwhile, fixed-voice customers will face a range of increases depending on the product.

Customers with legacy products will see an increase of 12%, while those using current products will face a 6% rise.

Even customers with Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) services will see a 6% price adjustment.

A Tough Month for South Africans

This announcement comes on the heels of other price hikes set to hit South African wallets in April 2025.

DStv customers will face price increases, and Eskom users will see a 12.74% rise in electricity tariffs starting the same day.

To top it off, South Africans will need to brace for a 0.5% VAT increase coming into effect on May 1, 2025.

How Much More Will You Pay?

Below is a detailed breakdown of how much more consumers can expect to pay for Telkom’s broadband services:

50/25Mbps uncapped FTTH promo: From R575.00 to R609.00
Fibre Home Unlimited 50Mbps: From R629.00 to R665.00
Fibre Home Unlimited 100Mbps: From R909.00 to R965.00
Fibre Home Unlimited 200Mbps: From R1,155.00 to R1,225.00
Unlimited Home Lite 300Mbps: From R1,357.99 to R1,439.00
Fibre Home Unlimited 300Mbps: From R1,445.00 to R1,529.00
Fibre Home Unlimited 500Mbps: From R1,625.00 to R1,699.00

In addition to broadband price hikes, fixed-voice tariffs will see a significant increase:

Line rental (Copper & Legacy FLLA): From R291 to R325
Legacy calling plans will also see increases, including the Evening & Weekend plan, which will jump from R302 to R339.

A Look at SMB Tariffs

Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will also face higher costs, with fibre and voice product prices increasing across the board:

Telkom Business Core Fibre Lite 50/25: From R619.00 to R655.00
Telkom Business Fusion Core Classic 100/50: From R915.00 to R975.00
Telkom Business Fusion Endless Fibre Optimum Plus 200/200: From R1,215.00 to R1,289.00

For SMB voice tariffs, there are numerous increases, with plans like Biztalk 150 rising from R415 to R465 and the Biztalk 10000 (Including ISDN PRA bundle 5-year) seeing an increase from R12,747 to R14,275.

What’s Next?

With these new tariffs set to take effect in just over a month, it’s crucial for South African consumers and businesses to start planning their budgets accordingly.

For those affected, it may be time to consider alternative broadband or voice solutions to mitigate the impact of these increases.

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