How to do a Sim Swap on Vodacom

Are you looking to do a Vodacom SIM swap? If yes, then you have come to the right place. Vodacom is probably the biggest company on the South African telecommunications scene. Today, it has nearly 35 million subscribers in the country. If you are one them, then a time may come when you need to learn how to do a Vodacom SIM swap. In this article, we show you how it’s done in a few easy steps. You don’t even need to visit your nearest Vodacom shop. In this article, we cover the following areas;

What does it mean to do a SIM swap?

Cellphones have been around for quite some time. Chances are high that in all that time, you have stuck to your old number. That’s great because it means that your friends and colleagues don’t have to struggle to stay in touch with you. But what do you do in the event that you have lost your SIM? Does it mean you will have to get a new number? But what of your contacts? Imagine having to call each of them to give them your new number! Clearly not a choice for most people!

Fortunately, you don’t have to do this. The answer to your quest lies in SIM swap. When you carry out one, you are simply exchanging your old line with a new one while keeping your old number. So, you don’t need to worry about getting out of touch. SIM swaps are an essential service offered by telecommunication companies around the world. While you are here, check out our article on how to transfer airtime on Vodacom.

Vodacom SIM swap steps for prepaid customers

A large chunk of Vodacom customers in South Africa are on the prepaid service. To do a SIM swap on Vodacom, you need to take the following steps;

  1. First you need to go to your nearest Vodacom vendor to buy a prepaid Starter pack.
  2. Next, you need to RICA your new Vodacom SIM.
  3. Now with your new SIM in your phone, dial 136.
  4. A number of options will come up, including one to continue using your old phone number. Choose that.
  5. You will now be directed over to one of Vodacom’s customer care staff. He or she will do the SIM Swap on your behalf.
  6. Now you will need to keep your new SIM in your phone while waiting for it to be activated.

Swapping Vodacom SIMs for contract customers

If you are on Vodacom Contract, then the following is how to do a SIM swap

  1. First, go to your nearest Vodacom shop.
  2. Buy a new Vodacom contract SIM.
  3. RICA your SIM. You need to have your ID or passport and proof of residence to do this.
  4. Still at the Vodacom shop, the shop assistants will do a contract line SIM swap on your behalf. You will have to fill out some documents.
  5. The waiting period for activation is 2 hours to a day (24 hours).

How long does sim swap take Vodacom

That’s a question that many people ask. Most are worried that they are going to have a period during which they are out of touch with friends and family. So, how long does sim swap take on Vodacom?

According to Vodacom, a SIM swap will take between 2 and 24 hours to be completed. So, you are going to have to wait a couple of hours before yours gets complete.

Do I lose all my services when I do a SIM swap?

That’s the worry for many people. They think that doing a Vodacom SIM swap will lead to the loss of the services that they had on the old SIMs. However, that is not the case. When you do a Vodacom SIM swap, you get to keep all your previous data and details.

If, as an example, you had data bundles in your old SIM, then they will be transferred automatically to the new SIM. The same applies for airtime. All your promos and discounts will also be processed over to the new sim. So, you have nothing to worry about!

Why swap your Vodacom SIM?

We have shown you the process of swapping SIMs for both Vodacom contract and prepaid customers. But why would anybody want to do this? Well, there are several reasons why you may end up finding yourself having to endure the process of doing a Vodacom SIM swap. The following are some of these reasons;

  • Perhaps your old SIM has become damaged. This can happen, particularly if you occasionally move your SIM between phones. It’s not too rare for some people to snap their SIM cards while doing this. Should this happen to you, then you may need to change your Vodacom SIM.
  • Another reason for learning how to do sim swap on Vodacom is that you could be looking to get the correct SIM size for your phone. Most modern phones have done away with big SIM slots. That means you will need to get a micro or nano SIM if you buy one of these phones.
  • You could also do a SIM swap if you have lost you old SIM. In that case, the aim will be to keep your old number, contacts and other settings. You can achieve this aim by doing a SIM swap and maintaining your old number.

Sim Swaps and Fraudsters

This is one worry that surrounds SIM swaps. Fraudsters have been know to fraudulently request them so they can steal important data and money. If they can claim your SIM as theirs, then they can do almost everything that you can do on your phone. To combat the menace, Vodacom notifies you when a request to swap your SIM has been made. The notification is received via SMS. If you have made no such request, quickly get in touch with Vodacom on 135 and they will help you stop the would be fraudsters in their tracks.

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