Every rand counts when you're on the phone all day. We've priced them all — independently.
Written by Mechelle Gindra, Editor · Last verified: September 2026
Independent Reviews
Sponsors Always Disclosed
Rankings Are Scored, Not Sold
11 Providers Compared
The top-scored VoIP provider in South Africa is Switch Telecom at 8.6/10, and published rand entry prices run from R49 to R150 a month; the cheapest published seat is Innovo Networks at R49 per extension, a Switch Telecom SIP trunk starts at R100 a month for four channels, and AVOXI is priced in US dollars (a US$14.99 monthly minimum plus 3% of voice spend). Six bill month-to-month and three charge no setup fee.
Published entry price
R49–R150
Per month, ex VAT
Providers compared
11
One five-part rubric, one score
Month-to-month
6 of 11
No lock-in contract
No setup fee
3 of 11
Switch, NoPBX, Axxess
1. Our top 3 VoIP picks for 2026
Sponsored partners are shown first in these picks. Sponsorship never changes a score, a verdict or a position in the comparison table below. How sponsorship works.
Hosted PBX, Teams Direct Routing and SIP trunks from one supplier
R49/ext/mo (Hosted PBX Starter, ex VAT)
SIP trunks and Teams Direct Routing quoted
Landline: 25c/min
Mobile: 35c/min
On-net: Free
Billed per second, ex VAT
Voice, Network & Security
✓✓✓✓✓✓
Comparison price is the entry-tier price per channel, excluding 15% VAT, shown alongside each provider’s verbatim published price. Per-minute call rates and mandatory add-ons are listed separately and are not folded into this figure. Quote-based providers are shown as quote-based. All prices and call rates on this page exclude 15% VAT.
Published rand entry prices on this table run from R49 to R150 a month, before call charges and VAT; AVOXI is priced in US dollars.
3. How to choose a VoIP provider in South Africa
Six checks to run before you sign. Provider examples come from the table above; the advice around them is ours.
1. Decide between a SIP trunk and a hosted PBX
Problem: If you already own a working PBX, buying a hosted PBX means paying twice for the same job.
Switch Telecom sells the SIP trunk as its base service: R100 a month for 4 channels and R25 per extra channel. Hosted PBX seats add R260 per 10 extensions.
Innovo Networks quotes SIP trunks and Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, alongside hosted PBX from R49 per extension a month.
Kinetix Connect sells Managed Voice (SIP) for an existing PBX, plus 3CX-based hosted PBX, all quoted.
Centracom sells SIP trunking and hosted PABX on quote.
A hosted PBX is the whole phone system in the cloud; a SIP trunk is only the line into a PBX you already run.
Decide: if you own a PBX that works, price a SIP trunk; if not, price hosted PBX seats plus the trunk.
2. Calculate your true cost per call
Problem: The advertised monthly fee hides the per-minute charges and the billing increment, which decide the real bill.
Switch Telecom, 10 users and 1,000 landline minutes: R100 trunk, R260 for 10 extensions and R240 in calls at 24c a minute. That is about R600 a month ex VAT. Calls are billed in 30-second increments with a 60-second minimum; per-second billing is 26c a minute.
NoPBX, the same 10 users: R740 a month (R65 per user plus the R90 PBX charge) with 200 minutes per user included, then R0.57 a minute to landlines and R0.79 to mobiles, per second, ex VAT.
Innovo Networks charges 25c a minute to landlines and 35c to mobiles, per second, ex VAT. Vox Telecom Cristal Voice starts at 15c a minute, volume dependent. Axxess charges R0.40 and R0.80 incl. VAT, but its CallTime is for personal use under Axxess's terms, not for businesses.
Telkom Business charges 55c a minute out of bundle on BizTalk plans. Centracom prices from interconnect plus 1c, by volume. United Telecoms, Telviva and Kinetix Connect do not publish rates.
The billing increment matters as much as the rate: on short calls, 30-second or 60-second rounding can add more than a few cents a minute.
Ask: for a cost projection on your last three months of call records, including the billing increment.
3. Check load shedding resilience
Problem: A VoIP service is only as reliable as the power and internet at your office.
Switch Telecom includes a browser and mobile softphone for every extension at no extra charge, plus call forwarding.
Vox Telecom lists data-centre failover plus its mobile app. United Telecoms lists a mobile app with automatic redirect.
NoPBX runs on the mobile network, so there is no office equipment to keep powered. Axxess recommends a UPS plus its mobile app.
Telkom Business, Telviva, Kinetix Connect, Innovo Networks and AVOXI do not publish a load shedding provision.
Ask: where inbound calls go when the office loses power, and how that is switched on. If a provider cannot explain it, don't sign.
4. Check what the provider commits to on uptime
Problem: Without a written uptime figure and a service credit, you carry the cost of every outage.
Innovo Networks states a 99.99% uptime commitment on its cloud-hosted PBX. The figure is not published on Innovo's own site.
Centracom publishes a 99.9% core network uptime target. Its site does not say whether this is contractual with service credits.
Switch Telecom and Telviva publish no numeric uptime SLA or service-credit terms.
AVOXI adds AI-enabled call-quality monitoring on its Premium AI tier (US$199.99 monthly minimum plus 10% of voice spend).
Call quality also depends on your own line. If the connection is shared with heavy downloads or video, ask the provider to help you set up quality of service (QoS) on your router so voice traffic goes first.
Ask: for the uptime figure in the contract, the credit if it is missed, and a test call on your own connection in your busiest hour.
5. Check number porting fees and process
Problem: Your number is on your website, invoices and vehicles, so a failed or slow port costs you calls.
Switch Telecom charges R160 ex VAT per ported geographic number. A managed range port is R40 per number plus a R660 base charge.
NoPBX ports your first number free.
Innovo Networks keeps your existing numbers and positions the move as a single-weekend cutover.
Do this: keep the old service active until the new provider confirms the port is complete, and get the per-number fee in writing.
6. Verify ICASA licensing
Problem: If a voice provider is not licensed or exempt, you have no regulatory recourse in a dispute.
Switch Telecom, United Telecoms, Vox Telecom, Telkom Business, Axxess, Centracom and Telviva hold ECNS and ECS licences.
Innovo Networks resells a licensed operator's network under an ECS exemption. Kinetix Connect publishes no licence number.
AVOXI holds no South African ICASA licence and routes calls over international SIP.
NoPBX runs on licensed mobile networks. Confirm NoPBX's own licensing directly.
Ask: which ICASA licence or exemption the provider holds, and the licence number, then check it on the ICASA website.
✓
The short version: price on total monthly cost for your real minutes, prefer month-to-month, confirm the ICASA licence, and test call quality on your own connection before you port numbers.
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Compare like for like: Switch Telecom, Innovo Networks, NoPBX and United Telecoms quote ex VAT, Axxess quotes incl. VAT, and Telkom Business does not state a VAT basis. Switch Telecom's R100 is a four-channel SIP trunk, not a per-seat fee, and AVOXI's US$14.99 is a monthly minimum plus 3% of voice spend. Size each to your call concurrency before comparing totals.
4. How we score VoIP providers
WhichVoIP's ratings are calculated using a weighted scoring model across five dimensions. Every provider is evaluated using the same criteria, and no provider can pay for a higher score or a higher position in the comparison table. Sponsored partners are shown first, and labelled as such, in the top picks above the table. Our revenue comes from connecting businesses with providers — not from providers buying visibility.
25%
Pricing Value
25%
Feature Set
20%
Customer Reviews
15%
Reliability & Uptime
15%
Support Quality
Scores are recomputed when review data, pricing or features change. The "Last verified" date in the header is the month of the most recent source check behind the facts on this page. Unlike provider-run comparison pages that rank their own products first, WhichVoIP is editorially independent.
Per-minute call rates decide the bill for heavy callers; the seat fee decides it for everyone else.
5. Frequently asked questions
What is VoIP and how does it work?▼
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology that converts your voice into digital packets and transmits them over an internet connection instead of traditional analogue phone lines. When you speak into a VoIP phone or softphone, your voice is digitised, compressed, and sent as data packets to the recipient's phone, where the process reverses. The quality depends on your internet speed, latency, and the codec used. Unlike traditional landlines, which need dedicated physical circuits, VoIP can run over any broadband connection — fibre, ADSL, or even wireless. This flexibility is why VoIP is 60–70% cheaper than traditional phone lines for businesses.
How much does business VoIP cost in South Africa?▼
Among the eight VoIP providers on WhichVoIP that publish an entry package, prices run from R50 to R499 a month (median R130.50, sampled to September 2026); the top of that range is uncapped-calling packages. Hosted PBX seats are billed per extension and start lower: Innovo Networks publishes R49, Vox Telecom R59 and United Telecoms R65 per extension a month. All prices on this page exclude 15% VAT. Call rates add on top: published landline rates include R0.24 a minute at Switch Telecom, R0.25 at Innovo Networks and R0.30 at ISPAfrika, though not every provider publishes a rate card. For a realistic total cost: a 5-person office on Switch Telecom (R260 per 10-extension block, a trunk from R100, and 24c/min to landlines) making 500 landline minutes a month would pay about R480 a month, or R96 a person, before any handsets. Get quotes from at least two providers based on your actual call volumes to compare true total cost.
Is VoIP reliable enough for business?▼
Yes, VoIP is reliable enough for business — with caveats. A properly configured VoIP system from a reputable provider (hosted in a data centre with redundant infrastructure) is generally as reliable as traditional landlines. However, VoIP depends on two things: your internet connection and your local power supply. If either fails, you lose calls. This is why load shedding is a serious concern in South Africa. The solution: choose a provider with automatic mobile app failover (so you can take calls on cellular data during outages) and consider backup internet (wireless LTE/5G) for critical locations. Centracom and United Telecoms both offer this. With proper backup plans, VoIP is absolutely reliable for SA businesses.
Can I keep my phone number when switching to VoIP?▼
Yes, you can. The process is called number porting. All major South African VoIP providers support porting of geographic numbers (011, 021, 031, etc.) and national numbers (010, 087). The process typically takes 5–10 business days. Your new provider will handle the porting — you just need to provide your current service agreement details and a letter of authority. Published porting fees run from free (Screamer Telecoms, and NoPBX for your first number) through R40 (SureTel), R99 (ISPAfrika) and R160 (Switch Telecom) to R250 per number (Euphoria Telecom). During the transition, your new provider will set up temporary call forwarding to your mobile so you don't miss calls. Important: don't let your old provider disconnect your line until the new provider confirms the port is complete.
Do I need special phones for VoIP?▼
No, you don't need special phones, though they can help. You have three options: (1) Use IP desk phones (Yealink, Grandstream, Poly — ISPAfrika, for example, lists handsets at R795 to R1,850 each) for a traditional phone experience. (2) Use softphone apps on your computer (free, included with most VoIP providers). (3) Use mobile apps on your smartphone (included by all major providers) to take business calls anywhere on your phone's data connection. Many businesses start with softphones and mobile apps (zero cost), and only buy desk phones for reception or staff who prefer physical handsets. If you already have SIP-compatible IP phones, they'll likely work with any VoIP provider — just ask your provider to confirm compatibility.
What's the difference between VoIP and a landline?▼
The key differences are technology, cost, and features. A traditional landline uses analogue circuits (dedicated phone lines from your office to the telephone exchange). VoIP sends voice as digital packets over your internet connection. Landlines are more stable (they work during internet outages) but every line carries its own monthly rental. VoIP entry packages are published from R50 to R150 a month and hosted PBX seats from R49 per extension, and VoIP is more flexible (add users instantly, no wait for installation). Landlines offer single-line service; VoIP lets you route calls between extensions and create hunt groups. The trade-off: VoIP depends on your internet quality. For a business with several lines, the saving comes from replacing per-line rental with per-extension seats and lower published call rates, so ask for a quote against your current bill.
Does VoIP work during load shedding?▼
VoIP itself works during load shedding if your data centre has backup power (all major providers' data centres do). However, you can't use it from your office if the power is out and you don't have UPS backup for your router and phones. The solution is a mobile app fallover: most VoIP providers include smartphone apps that let you take business calls over cellular data during an outage. Centracom and Switch Telecom both include this as standard. Some providers also offer automatic call forwarding to your mobile number when the office connection drops. When evaluating a provider, specifically ask: "What happens to incoming calls during a power outage at my office?" If they can't explain a clear failover plan, look elsewhere.
What is SIP trunking?▼
SIP trunking is a way to connect your existing PBX system (whether on-premises or cloud-based) to the internet for cheaper calling rates. Instead of using traditional phone lines (POTS — Plain Old Telephone Service) or ISDN trunks, SIP trunking sends your calls over an internet connection to a VoIP provider's network, where they're routed to their destination. Think of it as replacing your old phone lines with modern internet-based circuits. SIP trunking is useful if you already own a PBX and want to save money on call rates without replacing the entire system. Providers like Centracom and Switch Telecom offer both SIP trunking (for existing PBX owners) and hosted VoIP (for businesses without existing systems). SIP trunks require minimal setup — usually just reconfiguring your PBX to point to the provider's SIP server.
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