NetOne Tourist SIM/eSIM review
Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
NetOne Tourist SIM/eSIM is a prepaid tourist plan for visitors landing in Zimbabwe who want a network-run SIM with no contract attached. Entry pricing starts at $5, and the larger tourist tiers add data on the same monthly terms, with an eSIM available as well as a physical card.
Key facts
- Best for
- Visitors to Zimbabwe who want a prepaid, no contract SIM or eSIM bought straight from the network.
- Seller type
- Network (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- SIM-only
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- $5 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Reference plan prices
- Tourist $5: $5 per month, 3 GB, no contract; Tourist $20: $20 per month, 15 GB, no contract; Tourist $40: $40 per month, 30 GB, no contract (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- eSIM
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- EU roaming
- Paid (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Data rollover
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- ZW (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- NetOne Cellular (Private) Limited (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Zimbabwe (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 1996 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Phone, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Billing
- Prepaid
- Official website
- netone.co.zw
Apps and profiles
Pros and cons
Pros
- The seller type is network, so the SIM comes from the operator that runs the service rather than a third party reseller.
- Entry pricing starts at $5 and the whole ladder is sold on prepaid terms, which suits a short trip.
- An eSIM is available, so you can get connected without waiting for a physical card to arrive.
- GETESA and yesss! also list contract billing, while billing here is prepaid only, which keeps a holiday straightforward.
- Every tourist tier runs month to month, so a longer stay does not tie you to a minimum term.
Cons
- Data rollover is not offered, so anything unused in a prepaid month is lost rather than carried forward.
- Roaming is paid, so crossing a border adds cost instead of being covered in the plan.
- The service is aimed at ZW, a single market, so it does not travel with you.
- Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, with no email channel among them.
Who it suits
- Visitors to Zimbabwe who need data for a fixed holiday and prefer paying as they go.
- Travellers who would rather load an eSIM than wait for a physical card.
- People who want to deal with the network operator directly, since the seller type is network.
Who should look elsewhere
- People who want a rolling monthly tariff, since yesss! offers contract, rolling and prepaid on contract, rolling and prepaid while this plan is prepaid only.
- Shoppers who want a contract option sitting beside prepaid, which is the pairing GETESA lists on prepaid and contract.
- Anyone who wants the option of moving from prepaid to a contract later: Lonestar Cell MTN lists both on contract and prepaid, while NetOne stays on prepaid for every tourist plan.
Core features
This is a SIM only product, so you bring your own handset and take the plan to any unlocked device. An eSIM is available as well, which means the profile can be loaded without a plastic card. The one thing the plans do not do is roll data over: whatever you have not used during a prepaid month is not carried into the next one, so a light user pays less than a heavy user on the same tier.
The company behind it
The provider is NetOne Cellular (Private) Limited, headquartered in Zimbabwe and in operation since 1996. It is a long standing local operator rather than a newly formed reseller, and the tourist plans sit alongside its regular prepaid business. Help runs on phone, chat and help centre, giving a visitor a phone line, a chat route and a help centre to work with if a plan needs sorting out.
How NetOne Tourist SIM/eSIM compares
- 9.2 vs 8.5
- 9.2 vs 8.5
- 9.2 vs 8.5
- 9.2 vs 8.7
- 9.2 vs 8.6
- 9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.8- 9.2 vs 9.4
- 9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2- 9.2 vs 9.2
Budget Thuis Mobile
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.8- 9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.6- 9.2 vs 8.6
9.2 vs 8.6
9.2 vs 8.6
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.5- 9.2 vs 8.5
- 9.2 vs 8.5
- 9.2 vs 8.5
- 9.2 vs 8.0
- 9.2 vs 8.0
- 9.2 vs 8.0
- 9.2 vs 8.0
Where NetOne Tourist SIM/eSIM is available
- Available
- Zimbabwe
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does the NetOne Tourist SIM/eSIM cost to start with?+
Entry pricing starts at $5. The tourist plans are sold as a short ladder: every tier runs month to month with no minimum term, and each step up carries more data than the one below. A light visitor can take the cheapest plan, top up later, and never be held to a long contract.
How does that entry price compare with other plans?+
On price from, the plan sits at 83 out of 258 brands, so it reads as an entry level option rather than the cheapest on the list. The cost part of the score is 9.4 and the overall rating is 9.2, which places it well among the priced entries here.
Do I have to sign a contract to get one of these plans?+
You do not. Billing is prepaid, and every tourist plan is sold month to month, which is why the product is aimed at visitors rather than people settling in. GETESA and yesss! list contract billing as an option, so a longer minimum term is available there if that is what you want.
What happens if my trip takes me out of Zimbabwe?+
Roaming is handled separately: it is paid rather than included in the tourist plans. The service itself is aimed at ZW, so this is a single market product. If your itinerary includes neighbouring countries, budget for roaming charges or look at a plan built for regional travel.
Can I set the plan up on an eSIM?+
An eSIM is available, so the profile can be loaded onto a compatible handset without waiting for a card to be posted. Because the product is SIM only, it also works with a handset and SIM you already own. Either way the plan runs on NetOne's own network in Zimbabwe.
Does data I do not use roll into the next month?+
Data rollover is not offered on these plans. Whatever you have not used during a prepaid month is gone when that month ends, so a traveller who underestimates their usage cannot bank spare data. Billing being prepaid, topping up again is the way to extend things when you run low.
Who runs NetOne and how long have they been trading?+
The provider is NetOne Cellular (Private) Limited, based in Zimbabwe and operating since 1996. As the seller type is network, the network issues the plan itself rather than a reseller passing it on. The trust part of the rating is 9.6, the highest of the three score parts.
How do I get help if the plan stops working?+
Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, so you can pick whichever suits you at the time: a phone line, a chat route or the help centre. Email is not among them. These routes sit with the same operator, so a problem with the SIM and a question about billing reach the same desk.
Sources
- netone.co.zw checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Customer Support: Call 123 or WhatsApp +263716956243”
- netone.co.zw/about checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity, Seller type
“established by Postal and Telecommunications Corporation on 25 September 1996”
- netone.co.zw/tourist-sim-card checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Billing, Data rollover, ESIM, EU roaming, Markets, Price from, Reference plan prices, SIM-only
“specialized, prepaid SIM designed for travellers”
Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Unlimited plan price, Contract length.
NetOne Tourist SIM/eSIM
Visitors to Zimbabwe who want a prepaid, no contract SIM or eSIM bought straight from the network.