Gambia: Best Tourist eSIMs Reviewed (2024)

The Gambia 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 the Gambia?

You can get an eSIM for the Gambia for as little as 9.50 USD Airalo (Wassu Telecom).

I will also introduce you to a few global eSIMs that be used in the Gambia and 80+ other countries, including the Gambia's neighbors, for competitive rates.

Original publication: 18^th of December 2022. Last updated: 7^th of March 2024.

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Table of Contents

Airalo Wassu Telecom eSIM for the Gambia

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 the Gambia: Wassu Telecom.

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 the Gambia, the Airalo Wassu Telecom eSIM uses the Africell network up to 4G/LTE (no 5G NR yet).

Be aware: most travel eSIMs, including Airalo's Gambia Wassu Telecom eSIM, are data-only eSIMs, so you cannot call or text with them (nor can you receive any calls or SMS).

1. Gambia/Wassu Telecom 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 9.50 USD
2. Gambia/Wassu Telecom 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 18 USD

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 Wassu Telecom eSIM through the Airalo website or apps.

So if you need 5 GB of data, you can purchase the Wassu Telecom 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 the Gambia 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 Gambian 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).

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 Gambia Wassu Telecom eSIM, your speeds will most likely not be faster than someone using a local SIM card.

That is because you are roaming on the Africell 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 Gambia Wassu Telecom 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).

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Local Gambian 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 four mobile operators in the Gambia: Africell Gambia, Qcell Gambia, Comium Mobile & Gamcel by Gamtel.

Currently, only Africell Gambia offers eSIMs to prepaid customers.

For more information about the plans offered by Gambian mobile operators, check out my Gambian SIM card buying guide.

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International eSIM for the Gambia & More Countries

Okay, I went over the the Gambia travel eSIM options offered by Airalo.

As expected, these eSIMs can only be used in the Gambia and not in neighboring Senegal.

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 the Gambia too.

So let's see which multi-country eSIMs can be used in the Gambia and other countries, including the Gambia's neighbors.

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As you can see, the Hello Africa eSIM cannot be used in the Gambia (yet).

However, as many who visit the Gambia do not just stay in the Gambia (they often go to Senegal as well), you can consider it.

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for the Gambia (Airalo)

In this guide, I went over Airalo's Wassu Telecom as the only (reasonably priced) eSIM for the Gambia.

I recognize that there are other eSIM providers that do offer services for Gambia.

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 😀.

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Buying a SIM Card in the Gambia

Want to just use a SIM card but not your current one because roaming will be criminally expensive?

Consider getting a Gambian SIM card instead – local SIM cards are the cheapest way to stay connected abroad.