Mali is certainly not the popular travel destination in (West) Africa.
But it still has a lot to offer.
So, what are your local or travel eSIM options for Mali?
You can get an eSIM for Mali for as little as 9.50 USD from Airalo (Mali Connected).
I will also introduce you to a few global eSIMs that be used in Mali and 80+ other countries, including Mali's neighbors, for competitive rates.
Original publication: 18th of December 2022. Last updated: 7th of March 2024.
Table of Contents
Airalo Mali Connected eSIM for Mali
Airalo is the most popular eSIM platform, covering around 190 countries (more than any other eSIM platform out there).
That is because it is the largest and oldest eSIM platform worldwide.
Airalo has an eSIM that can be used in Mali: Mali Connected.
Travel eSIM providers like Airalo set up roaming agreements with local mobile operators.
But do not get too worried about the term roaming – you will not get a 3000 USD roaming bill.
What Airalo does, and basically all mobile operators do, is partner up with a local mobile operator so that their customers can still stay connected when abroad.
In Mali, the Airalo Mali Connected eSIM uses the Malitel network up to 4G/LTE (no 5G NR yet).
Be aware: most travel eSIMs, including Airalo's Mali Malitel eSIM, are data-only eSIMs, so you cannot call or text with them (nor can you receive any calls or SMS).
- Mali/Mali Connected 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 7.50 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Mali/Mali Connected 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 14 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Mali/Mali Connected 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 20 USD
- Mali/Mali Connected 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 30.50 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30th of December (2023 data only). The (promotional) prices were updated on the 31st of January.
Now, you may think this is a sad selection or that 1 GB of data is insufficient.
Both points are true… I agree – but you can make unlimited top-ups with the Mali Connected eSIM through the Airalo website or apps.
So if you need 5 GB of data, you can purchase the Mali Connected 1 GB eSIM and get four 1 GB top-ups.
Yes, it is a bit inconvenient for now; Airalo may offer 3 GB, 5 GB & 10 GB plans with a 30-day validity for Mali soon, as it did for many other countries it supports.
What makes things even more pleasant is that you can top up your eSIM when it is expiring or when you are out of data without the need to purchase a new eSIM.
But you may think that a local SIM card or eSIM will (still) be cheaper than Airalo or any other travel eSIM.
And you are right – that is true in most cases.
However, you will have to deal with the Malian SIM card registration laws.
(Why does this matter? Because hackers can steal your (critical) personal data if the mobile operator does not secure your data properly, like what happened in Australia (10 million Optus customers were affected, where info, like passport numbers, were stolen (including mine – luckily not my passport number but my boyfriend was not as lucky) or Indonesia (1.3 billion SIM card-related data was hacked)).
Most mobile operators in Africa will only sell you (overpriced) tourist SIM cards (when available) or the most expensive plans because of “mandatory new plan requirements” (which are often lies to take more of your money).
- Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)
So yes, you could get cheaper plans, but the question is if you can actually get them.
Oh, you should also be aware of the following, you can get up to 4G/LTE connections with the Airalo Mali Mali Connected eSIM, your speeds will most likely not be faster than someone using a local SIM card.
That is because you are roaming on the Malitel network instead of being a native customers
But that does not mean you will have (extremely) slow speeds – just (slightly) slower than native customers.
Anyway, the Airalo Mali Mali Connected eSIM is fantastic and is the eSIM I, and many Phone Travel Wiz readers, recommend the most.
The eSIMs are affordable, the data allowances can be tailored to your needs (1 GB only, but unlimited top-ups are available) & you will have a smooth network experience (in most cases).
- Check out my Airalo eSIM reviews
Local Malian eSIM for Prepaid Customers
If you want the best and full network experience, including being able to call and text, you want to get a local eSIM.
You have three mobile operators in Mali: Orange Mali, Malitel & Telecel.
Currently, no Malian mobile operator offers eSIMs to prepaid customers.
For more information about the plans offered by the Malian mobile operators, check out my Mali SIM card buying guide.
International eSIM for Mali & More Countries
Okay, I went over the Mali travel eSIM options offered by Airalo.
As expected, these eSIMs can only be used in Mali and not in neighboring Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, or Mauritania.
So what if you plan on visiting any of those countries, or you are on a world tour and wish to use one eSIM in multiple countries – do you have any other options?
Yes, you do. Airalo have regional, global & international eSIMs covering at least 80 countries; some include Mali too.
So let's see which multi-country eSIMs can be used in Mali and other countries, including Mali's neighbors.
Airalo Hello Africa eSIM
Airalo also has the Hello Africa eSIM covering 26 countries with two variants: 1 GB/30 days – very popular with PTW readers & 3 GB/30 days – most popular with PTW readers.
Like Asia, the Caribbean, Europe & Latin America, many readers tend to visit multiple African countries, so they would rather have a travel eSIM covering multiple countries than just one.
The Hello Africa eSIM can be used in 26 countries in Africa:
- Algeria
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa)
- Congo, Republic of (Brazzaville)
- Eswatini (Swaziland) 1
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea 1
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- South Africa
1 on 3G only
Below is an overview of how much each Hello Africa eSIM costs:
- Africa/Hello Africa 1 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 27 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
- Africa/Hello Africa 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 59 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7th of September (2023 data only).
With the Hello Africa eSIM, you can save a lot of money by skipping the initial SIM card costs per country you visit.
As you can see, the Hello Africa eSIM cannot be used in Mali (yet).
However, as many who visit Mali do not just stay in Mali (they often go to Burkina Faso or Guinea as well), you can consider it.
Overview of the Best eSIMs for Mali (Airalo)
In this guide, I went over Airalo's Mali Connected as the only (reasonably priced) eSIM for Mali.
I recognize that there are other eSIM providers that do offer services for Mali.
But they are either crazy expensive or the quality of service is whack (based on my experience or the experiences of other Phone Travel Wiz readers).
But you are free to try them out and let me know if they were any good 😀.
Buying a SIM Card in Mali
Want to just use a SIM card but not your current one because roaming will be criminally expensive?
Consider getting a Malian SIM card instead – local SIM cards are the cheapest way to stay connected abroad.