Standard Bank jumps MVNO ship to MTN

After six years of running a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) service on Cell C’s network, Standard Bank has announced a new collaboration with MTN. It had more than 300,000 users on Standard Bank Mobile, which will now be called Standard Bank Connect.

The bank said it would introduce a new set of data and voice packages and give its South African customers access to MTN’s extensive coverage across the country.

“The transition will be gradual, where we invite our customers to join us on our pilot program, helping us to build meaningful services together and experiencing Standard Bank on MTN’s wide network,” said Kartik Mistry, head of Standard Bank Connect.

Standard Bank offers its mobile customers bank fees back in airtime, based on the products and services they have with the bank.

 _{Kartik Mistry, head of Standard Bank Connect.}

Standard Bank offers two main types of connectivity packages: the Connected Circle and the Connected Gigs plans. The Connected Circle plans cater to customers seeking both voice and data connectivity with options like Connected Circle Starter, Lite, Plus and Pro. These plans provide access to unlimited calls to selected numbers within one’s community and include inclusive data, promoting flexibility and changing the way we connect.

For data-centric customers, the Connected Gigs plans offer high-value data bundles at competitive prices. Customers can also purchase airtime bundles for voice and SMS usage on these plans.

Qualifying Connected Circle and Connected Gigs plans include monthly discounts on tech accessories of up to 50% with Standard Bank’s partnership with Dress Your Tech.

Other features include:

• Month-to-month flexibility: All plans are monthly; however, customers can choose to commit to their plan for 3, 6 or 12 months for added incentives.
• Auto top-up: Ensures continuous data access only when needed, with no expiration on topped-up data.
• R1 Promotion: For a limited time, customers can take up any plan for R1 and enjoy the full inclusive value of their plans till the first billing date. Plans can only be ordered online at this stage but will be available in selected branches in the near future.