Visiting Madagascar soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Madagascar SIM card.
Fortunately, Africa is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily. You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Africa.
In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Madagascar in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Madagascar. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Malagasy or French – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Madagascar.
Best SIM Cards In Madagascar
If you’re traveling in Madagascar, we recommend using a SIM card from Airtel, Orange, Telma, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Africa, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other African countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In Madagascar
You can either buy a Madagascar prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an African prepaid SIM card online.
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Airtel, Orange, and Telma.
Airtel SIM Cards
Airtel offers several different types of prepaid plans:
- 1 GB data, valid for 7 days for MGA 6000 ($1.40)
- 2.5 GB data, valid for 7 days for MGA 10000 ($2.34)
- 2.5 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 12500 ($2.92)
- 4.5 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 25000 ($5.85)
- 6.5 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 30000 ($7.02)
- 12 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 49000 ($11.46)
- 20 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 80000 ($18.71)
- 65 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 199000 ($46.53)
Orange SIM Cards
Orange has several different prepaid plans available:
- 1.5 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 50000 ($11.69)
- 3.5 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 100000 ($23.38)
- 6 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 150000 ($35.08)
Telma SIM Cards
Telma offers several SIM-only plans for tourists:
- 2 GB data, valid for 7 days for MGA 10000 ($2.34)
- 2 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 15000 ($3.51)
- 4 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 25000 ($5.85)
- 12 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 75000 ($17.54)
- 25 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 125000 ($29.23)
- 50 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 150000 ($35.08)
- 100 GB data, valid for 30 days for MGA 195000 ($45.60)
Overall, we think Airtel is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
How To Buy A Madagascar Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, Orange Holiday World SIM works in more than 100+ countries and gives you up to 10 GB of data for 14 days. Madagascar is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Madagascar.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For Madagascar
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Madagascar.
Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo.
Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Madagascar.
Airalo Madagascar
If you want to buy an eSIM for Madagascar, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Africa and Madagascar.
I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine.
Here are the options available:
- Madacom: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9.50
Here’s an overview of the options available in Africa:
- 1 GB, valid for 30 days for $27
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $59
The options mentioned above are part of the HelloAfrica plan and offer coverage in 26 countries, including Madagascar.
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip.
In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly Madagascar
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Here’s an overview of their plans for Madagascar:
- 6 GB, valid for 15 days for $44
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Madagascar
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Madagascar or even an eSIM for your travels in Madagascar is pretty straightforward.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Madagascar if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.
Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
