Mayotte: Buy the Best SIM Cards | 2024 Guide

Mayotte is a French Overseas Department, which means that it is not an independent country but a region/province in France. Mayotte does have a different visa policy compared to mainland France. Still, those from the European Union or European Economic Area can travel and reside in Mayotte without restrictions.

What can you do in Mayotte? Mamoudzou, the capital of Mayotte, is home to the Mtsapéré Mosque. Paminzi has beautiful lakes, beaches, and is excellent for hikes. Head to the Comoro Islands if you want to see turtles (and volcanoes). In short, Mayotte is an excellent destination for adventures.

You probably want to share your Mayotte adventures with your friends on social media. However, you know what roaming can be expensive in many cases, so you want to buy a SIM card in Mayotte.

Be aware that mobile data in Mayotte is expensive compared to African standards, (in fact, it is one of the more expensive destinations to buy a SIM card, based on all the African SIM cards I analyzed in my Buying a SIM Card in Africa Guide), mainly because Mayotte is a remote island. For European standards, however, mobile data can be considered cheap or costly, depending on where you are from.

In this article, I will tell you all about buying a SIM card in Mayotte. Let’s do this.

Original publication: 15th of May 2020. Last updated: 22nd of August 2023.

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Telecom Providers in Mayotte

Mayotte has 3 full telecom operators, which are: SFR Mayotte, Orange Mayotte, and Only. All these operators have 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE networks.

There is also a 4G/LTE-only operator, which is called Maoré Mobile. They entered Mayotte in 2019. Their coverage is still limited because they are so young, but they plan on improving their coverage as soon as possible.

Best SIM Card in Mayotte

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SIM Card Registration Regulations in Mayotte

Like most countries in East Africa, and Africa in general, you have to register yourself when buying a SIM card in Mayotte.

Mainland France is part of the European Union (EU). As of June 2017, a new regulation has been enforced, which is known as roam at like home, meaning that those with a European Union (or EEA) SIM card should be allowed to use (some) of their data allowance in other EU/EEA countries without a surcharge.

As French Overseas Departments are considered to be part of France, the roam at like home rules apply in Mayotte, meaning that those from the EU/EEA can use their SIM cards in Mayotte without a surcharge, and you can use your Mahoran SIM card in the EU/EEA as well (in most cases).

However, make sure your operator has included Mayotte in their roam like home destination page, as they sometimes “forget” to do so, which could result in high roaming charges. If you can roam in Mayotte, do so – it will be more affordable that buying a Mahoran SIM card and data package.

With that being said, let’s see what Mayotte has to offer to us.

SFR Mayotte

SFR Mayotte, just SFR, is the largest operator in Mayotte. With the best coverage and speeds in Mayotte, they manage to maintain a market share of around 75%. SFR is, however, the most expensive option in Mayotte.

SIM Card Price – SFR

SFR SIM cards, called L’offre Faïda, cost €2 and are sold in SFR stores and a few other stores.

The SIM card comes with 6 EUR in credit. Top-up vouchers are sold from €3 to €40. Call 950 to check your SFR balance.

L’Offre Faïda 6 has these 2 combo plans that include data:

• €1: 1 GB high-speed data (then throttled to 2G speeds), unlimited local calls, and free SMS for 1 day. Activation: text 1WEB to 976.
• €5: 5 GB high-speed data (then throttled to 2G speeds), unlimited local calls, and free SMS for 5 days. Activation: text 5WEB to 976.

There is also an SFR plan called HALO 4G for €55 that comes 2 GB high-speed data (then throttled to 2G speeds), unlimited local calls and SMS, unlimited calls and SMS to mainland France, European Union, and other French Overseas Departments, which are:

Orange Mayotte

Orange Mayotte, just Orange, is the smallest operator in Mayotte. Their coverage is almost the same as the one of SFR, and they are cheaper than SFR.

SIM Card Price – Orange

You can get an Orange SIM card for €5 (Ankili Eco) or €10 (Ankili Numéro préféré and Ankili SMS) depending on the starter plan you choose. Go for the €5 one because it does not matter which one you choose if planning on buying data plans. Top-up cards are sold everywhere. Dial #123# to check your Orange balance.

Orange has 3 types of plans that include data:

• Orange Pass internet mobile
• Orange Pass appels et sms illimités, internet mobile
• Orange Forfaits et forfaits bloqués

Let's go through each of them.

Orange Pass internet mobile

Orange has 2 internet passes that come with data. Both Pass internet mobile plans can be activated by dialing #111#:

• €1: 1 GB for 24 hours
• €4: 4 GB for 7 days

Dial #123# to check your Orange Pass internet mobile consumption.

Orange Pass appels et sms illimités, internet mobile

These passes come with unlimited minutes and SMS. They come in 3 variants, which are to be activated by dialing #111#:

• €2: 1 GB, unlimited minutes and SMS for 24 hours
• €7: 5 GB, unlimited minutes and SMS for 7 days
• €20: 3 GB, unlimited minutes and SMS for 30 days

Dial #123# to check your Orange Pass appels et sms illimités, internet mobile consumption.

Orange Forfaits et forfaits bloqués

Orange Forfaits et forfaits bloqués are monthly combo plans that come with much more data compared to Orange Pass. The following 6 Forfaits et forfaits bloqués come with data:

• €15: 5 GB, 2 hours of calls, and unlimited SMS
• €20: 30 GB, 2 hours of calls, and unlimited SMS
• €25: 5 GB and unlimited calls and SMS
• €30: 30 GB and unlimited calls and SMS
• €30: 60 GB, 2 hours of calls, and unlimited SMS
• €40: 60 GB and unlimited calls and SMS

Only Mayotte

Only Mayotte, just Only, is the smallest full operator in Mayotte. They coverage is limited compared to SFR and Orange, but they do offer interesting packages.

SIM Card Price – Only

You can get an Only SIM card for €5, which comes with €4 in credit, in Only stores. Recharge cards are sold from €3 to €20. Dial #111# to check your Only balance.

Only has 2 plans without a contract: Istawi and Marahaba.

Istawi

With Istawi, you have 3 options that come with data:

• €1: 200 MB for 4 days. Activation: dial #133#1200#
• € 4: 5 GB for 4 days. Activation: dial #133#5000#
• €4: 1 GB, 10 hours of calls, unlimited local SMS, and unlimited SMS to mainland France and Réunion. Activation: #133#1000

Marahaba

With Maharaba, you have 2 options that come with data:

• €15: 10 GB, unlimited local calls and SMS, and unlimited calls and SMS to mainland France, French Overseas Departments*, Réunion, and the European Union**
• €25: 60 GB, unlimited local calls and SMS, and unlimited calls and SMS to mainland France, French Overseas Departments*, Réunion, and the European Union**

* French Overseas Departments: Guadeloupe, Guyana, and Martinique
** European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin (French part) Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom

Maoré Mobile

Maoré Mobile is a 4G/LTE-only operator in Mayotte. They are also the newest player in Mayotte, as they started in 2019. Coverage is limited compared to the other operators, covering about 35% of Mayotte and more than 60% of the population.

SIM Card Price – Maoré

Maoré Mobile SIM cards are sold for €5, with €5 in credit, in Douka stores. Top-up vouchers are sold in those stores too or online, from €2 to €100. Dial #950# to check your Maoré Mobile balance.

For data, Maoré Mobile has Forfaits Illimités, Fortaints Internet, and other plans (Autres Offres, which means other offers).

Maoré Mobile Forfaits Illimités

The Forfaits Illimités are monthly plans that come with unlimited local calls and SMS, and unlimited calls and SMS to mainland France, and French Overseas Departments. You have these 3 options:

• €15: 1 GB. Activation: dial #515#
• €20: 10 GB. Activation: dial #520#
• €25: 20 GB. Activation: dial #525#

Maoré Mobile Forfaits Internet

Forfaits Internet plans are data-only plans. They come in 2 variants:

• €5: 5 GB for 7 days. Activation: dial #555#
• €10: 10 GB for 30 days. Activation: dial #560#

Maoré Mobile Autres Offres

These are other plans that do not fit in another category. Only 2 out of the 4 other offers come with reasonable data offers:

• €3: 1 GB, unlimited local calls and SMS, and unlimited calls and SMS to mainland France, and French Overseas Departments for 3 days. Activation: dial #503#
• €5: 2 GB, local calls and SMS, and unlimited calls and SMS to mainland France, and French Overseas Departments for 5 days. Activation: dial #550#

The Best Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Mayotte

Getting a SIM card from Orange would do you well when considering a Mahoran SIM card.