• There is a new player in the South African mobile industry, as Melon Mobile has officially launched as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).
• Melon is calling itself SA’s first fully digital MVNO.
• The service provider’s big selling point is the ability to offer a fully customisable mobile subscription.

South Africans have a new choice available to them when it comes to the local network service provider space, with Melon Mobile officially launching today. Melon, as it also likes to refer to itself, has been been christened as SA’s first fully digital Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

Much like insurtech outfit Naked, Melon uses an app to facilitate most, if not all interactions and tasks for customers.

The company adds that it aims to disrupt the mobile industry, particularly in the pre-paid segment, “by putting control and flexibility back into the hands of consumers.”

“Melon is set to change how South Africans do mobile. We’ve built a service that puts the consumer first, giving them the freedom to choose their monthly data, voice and texts needs, without locking them into anything. It’s about flexibility, value and perhaps most importantly, simplicity,” adds founder and CEO of Melon Mobile, Calvin Collett (pictured in the header image).

Melon Mobile also touts its offering as being fully customisable. To that end, it is making the following features available to customers:

• “Build Your Own Plan (monthly) or select a plan that works best for you.  
• Order a SIM and have it delivered to your door.  
• Move to Melon and Port Your Number on the same day.  
• 3-Step Process to Self-RICA on the App  
• Try Before You Buy Plan, including 1GB Data, 100 Voice Minutes and 100 Texts, for free.  
• Data, Voice and Texts that never expire as long as the user has a fully paid and valid data subscription in place.”

For those wondering about the backbone of the network and coverage, MTN is doing the heavu lifting in that department.

“Melon is backed by the MTN network, for uninterrupted mobile coverage for users, no matter where they live or work. This partnership will help Melon Mobile to deliver on the promise of mobile freedom to all its customers,” the company explains in a press release sent to Hypertext.

“We are pleased to welcome Melon Mobile to MTN, the ‘Network of Networks’ and the ‘Carrier of Carriers’. We are encouraged by the development of the MVNO sector as it enhances competition while stimulating innovation and growth. MTN will continue to be a leading player in nurturing and expanding this sector in future,” adds Quintus de Beer, MTN SA executive for Wholesale and Carrier Services.

To find out more about Melon Mobile, as well as download the app (available on iOS and Android), head here.