eSIM Kenya: compare, buy, and travel connected

If you want to take a tour of the best natural parks and places in this beautiful African country, we recommend that you have a good internet connection to enjoy and share every moment with your loved ones. Indeed, there area many options to remain connected to the internet while traveling, such as International Roaming or Pocket WiFi. Yet, the one we recommend and the one we will show you today is the eSIM with data for Kenya.

However, if you don’t know what an eSIM is or if you’ve never used one before, don’t worry because in Roaming we’ll tell you everything you need to know. We will show you the requirements you have to meet to use it, and the international providers you can buy an eSIM from for your trip to Kenya.

Requirements to install the eSIM Kenya:

To begin with, you must know the requirements to use the eSIM, since, although this product is becoming more and more popular among travelers, there are certain things that you have to consider, to be able to use it and activate it correctly, such as:

• The most important aspect is that you need a smartphone with integrated eSIM technology. Besides, you should check with your eSIM provider if your smartphone is compatible with the eSIM you want to buy for Kenya.
• During the purchase process, you must have an email so that you can receive the eSIM.
• When you carry out the activation process, that is, scanning the QR code of the eSIM, you must have a prior internet connection.  Without it, the activation process won’t be successful.
• In some cases, you will have to install an app from a provider to use or activate the eSIM.

For those who haven’t decided to change their cell phone and have a device that is incompatible with eSIM, they also have the possibility of buying a prepaid SIM card for Kenya. In this way, you travel with peace of mind through this African country.

Cellular providers of eSIM cards to travel to Kenya

Once you have met the above requirements, we will present you with the providers that have eSIM available in the market to connect to the internet in Kenya. These carriers sell eSIMs for trips that last one-month on average, such as tourism or business trips.

• Holafly
• GlobaleSIM
• Simtex
• Redteago
• YeSIM

Prices and data plans of eSIM providers to travel to Kenya

So, now that you know the providers that have eSIM to travel abroad, below we will show you the prices and data plans offered by these providers to help you compare them and choose the best product for your trip. Accordingly, the prices of the eSIM depend on the amount of data of the eSIM, the days of validity, and above all, it depends on the coverage that the eSIM has in Kenya.

Holafly plans and prices in Kenya:

• 6 GB for 15 days at $44 USD

GlobaleSIM plans in Kenya:

• 1 GB for 7 days at $49

YeSIM prices in Kenya:

• 1 GB for 30 days at $13

Comparison of eSIM providers for Kenya

Features of the eSIM to travel to Kenya

If you’re not very knowledgeable about eSIMs, now we will tell you the main features of this product. We will help you get a better idea of ​​what you are buying, so we invite you to read the following details and features that you will have in your eSIM for Kenya.

• In most cases, eSIMs don’t offer you analog calls.  Therefore, if you want to communicate by voice calls, you can use platforms such as Skype, Google Meet, and WhatsApp, among others.
• eSIMs can only be installed once, so if you’re having problems with your eSIM, check with your carrier before removing it from your phone.
• You can use your eSIM at the same time as you use your traditional SIM card. This will make your iPhone or smartphone fully dual SIM phone.
• If you like, you can add multiple data plans to your smartphone, although you can only use one at a time.

Coverage of the eSIM to travel to Kenya

One of the features that most influences the price of an eSIM is its coverage at the destination. Because, although you can buy an eSIM at a fairly cheap price, it’s most likely that this eSIM won’t have good coverage in Kenya. This means that you’re going to have trouble connecting to the internet in some areas.

How can you tell? The easiest way to find out the coverage of your eSIM in your destination is to check the cellular network that your eSIM provider is going to use in Kenya. If your eSIM uses a cellular network of the largest operators in Kenya like Airtel or Safaricom it means that the coverage of your eSIM will be excellent.

In the case of the Holafly eSIM Kenya, it uses the cellular network of Airtel. Therefore, we know that this eSIM is going to have good coverage. But, how good? If you want to know more about cellular coverage in Kenya, we recommend that you take a look at the cellular coverage maps that we have for you.

Safaricom 4G coverage map in Kenya

Airtel 4G coverage map in Kenya

Orange 4G coverage map in Kenya

Local Mobile operators offering eSIM in Kenya

Kenya has stood out among the other South African countries due to its continuing development. We can see this same development in the quality of its cellular networks and the infrastructure of its capital city, Nairobi.

However, in addition to this, we can also see this development with the new eSIMs offered by local cellular operators in Kenya. However, these eSIMs are intended for local users in Kenya. Therefore, if you’re interested in buying one of these eSIMs, you must follow certain steps and meet some requirements.

The eSIM or virtual SIM card chip offered by Kenyan cellular operators is quite similar to physical SIM cards. eSIMs have a local number that allows you to make and receive calls or messages, just like SIM cards, and in an independent way.  

Cellular operators that have eSIM option in Kenya are:  

• Faiba
• Safaricom

FAQ about eSIM in Kenya

If you have any questions about the new eSIMs for your trip to Kenya, don’t worry because we will answer the most frequently asked questions that travelers usually have regarding their eSIM in Kenya.

Carolina Silva