Rain is one of South Africa’s most distinctive mobile network operators, having built its brand around no-contract, truly unlimited data plans. Rain operates its own 4G and 5G network with allocated spectrum, and unlike traditional operators, Rain pioneered month-to-month home internet with no fixed-term commitment.
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of all Rain’s current unlimited data products, from home 5G WiFi to portable plans and mobile SIM-only deals, with prices updated for the current year.
Rain Unlimited Data Deals in South Africa (Current Year)
Overview of Rain Unlimited Data Plans
Rain offers unlimited data through several distinct product lines, each designed for different use cases:
| # | Product | Type | Monthly Price | Key Feature | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | carta | Home 5G WiFi | From R499 | Entry-tier unlimited 5G | Month-to-month |
| 2 | rainOne Home | Home 5G WiFi + 2 phones | From R679 | Unlimited 5G + 2 free phone SIMs | Month-to-month |
| 3 | rainOne Work | Business 5G WiFi + 5 phones | From R869 | Unlimited 5G + 5 free phone SIMs | Month-to-month |
| 4 | The Loop (Pergig) | Portable 5G hotspot | R475 | 25 GB + device rental | Month-to-month |
| 5 | The Loop (Unli Loopzone) | Portable 5G hotspot | R675 | Unlimited at 1 zone + 10 GB | Month-to-month |
| 6 | rain Mobile (rainGO) | Mobile SIM | R169 | 2 GB + 60 mins + 100 SMS | Month-to-month |
rainOne Home: Unlimited 5G WiFi + Free Phone Lines
The rainOne Home package is Rain’s flagship offering, combining unlimited 5G home WiFi with free mobile SIMs for two phones. All rainOne plans include the 5G smart router, are month-to-month with no fixed contract, and include free installation.
What’s included:
– Unlimited 5G home WiFi (unshaped, uncapped, with Fair Usage Policy)
– Two 4G mobile SIMs, each with 2 GB data + 60 minutes + 100 SMS per month
– Free-to-use 5G smart router
– Free installation
– Month-to-month contract
rainOne Home Pricing Tiers
| # | Plan | Speed | Monthly Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the101 | Up to 30 Mbps | R649 | Standard household (streaming, browsing, multiple devices) |
| 2 | the101 pro | Up to 60 Mbps | R849 | Heavy usage, 4K streaming, gaming, home office |
| 3 | the101 pro (Unlimited) | Uncapped | R1,049 | Power users, large households, no speed restrictions |
Source: Rain official website
Add-ons: For larger homes, Rain offers 101 Xtenders mesh WiFi units from R100 – R135 per month, each featuring its own touchscreen.
All plans are month-to-month, meaning you can cancel with 30 days’ notice. No long-term contracts lock you in.
rainOne Work: Business 5G WiFi + 5 Phone Lines
The rainOne Work package is identical to the home plan but includes five free mobile SIMs instead of two, making it ideal for small offices and businesses.
What’s included:
– Unlimited 5G business WiFi (unshaped, uncapped)
– Five 4G mobile SIMs, each with 2 GB data + 60 minutes + 100 SMS per month
– Free-to-use 5G smart router
– Free installation
– Month-to-month contract
rainOne Work Pricing Tiers
| # | Plan | Speed | Monthly Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the101 | Up to 30 Mbps | R825 | Small office, 2–5 employees, email and browsing |
| 2 | the101 pro | Up to 60 Mbps | R1,025 | Growing business, video conferencing, cloud apps |
| 3 | the101 pro (Unlimited) | Uncapped | R1,225 | Larger teams, heavy data usage, no speed caps |
Work plans cost approximately R176 more per month than their home equivalents, reflecting the three additional SIMs.
Speed Upgrades: Customers can upgrade their max speed in increments. Upgrading to higher speeds adds a corresponding monthly fee.
Data and Minutes Upgrades: Rain allows users to increase their data, minutes, and SMS allocations on their mobile plans into higher “levels,” each costing R75 more and adding 1 GB of mobile data and 30 voice minutes.
carta: Entry-Tier Unlimited 5G
Rain’s entry-tier offering, simply called “carta,” is positioned below the rainOne Home spec. It provides unlimited 5G WiFi without the bundled phone SIMs.
| # | Feature | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monthly Price | From R499 |
| 2 | Contract | Month-to-month |
| 3 | Included | Unlimited 5G WiFi, router included |
| 4 | Best For | Single users, couples, or anyone who doesn’t need the bundled phone lines |
Source: Rain official website
The Loop: Portable Unlimited 5G (Zone-Based)
The Loop is Rain’s innovative portable 5G device—a battery-powered router with a touchscreen, stereo speakers, camera, and Android operating system. It introduces zone-based billing, which changes how unlimited data works.
How Loopzones Work:
– Unli Loopzone: You pick a location (home, office, etc.) where you get unlimited data. You can change the address multiple times in the first week, then once per calendar month thereafter.
– Open Loopzones: Rain-designated public hotspots (malls, campuses, etc.) where all Loop users get free unlimited access.
– SmartSwitching: The device automatically detects when you cross a zone border and switches to the cheapest tariff.
The Loop Pricing Options
Option 1: Device Rental (Return on cancellation)
| # | Plan | Monthly Price | Data Everywhere Else | Loopzones | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pergig | R475 | 25 GB | Open only | Best effort 4G & 5G |
| 2 | Unlizones | R675 | 10 GB | Open + 1 Unli Loopzone | Best effort 4G & 5G |
Option 2: Buy Device Once-Off
| # | Plan | Monthly Price | Data Everywhere Else | Loopzones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pergig | R250 | 25 GB | Open only |
| 2 | Unlizones | R450 | 10 GB | Open + 1 Unli Loopzone |
Source: Rain official website
What’s included with The Loop:
– Portable 5G router with touchscreen
– Stereo speakers
– Battery-powered (take it anywhere)
– Android OS for apps
– Camera for video calls
– Share-by-QR code for guests
– eSIM support (twin eSIMs)
Add-ons: You can buy more Unli Loopzones or additional gigs anytime at rainGO.
Best for: Students, renters, digital nomads, SMEs in shared offices, and anyone who needs portable internet. It’s the most affordable way to get unlimited data at a specific location.
rain Mobile (rainGO): Standalone 4G SIM
For those who only need a mobile SIM for their phone (without home WiFi), Rain offers a standalone 4G mobile plan.
| # | Feature | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monthly Price | R169 |
| 2 | Data | 2 GB |
| 3 | Voice Minutes | 60 minutes (HD voice) |
| 4 | SMS | 100 SMS |
| 5 | Technology | 4G/LTE only (no 2G or 3G fallback) |
| 6 | VoLTE | Required for HD voice; rainTalk app available for non-VoLTE phones |
| 7 | Contract | Month-to-month |
Source: TechCentral, MyBroadband
Important notes:
– This is the same SIM package included free with rainOne bundles
– Rain’s mobile offering is based on 4G/LTE technology and does not support older 2G and 3G standards
– For high-definition voice services, Rain uses voice-over-LTE (VoLTE). Many 4G-capable devices support VoLTE; for those that don’t, Rain Mobile users can download the rainTalk app for voice calls
– RainMobile is strictly 4G—no 5G access on mobile SIMs
Comparison: Which Rain Unlimited Deal Is Right for You?
| # | If you need… | Choose… | Monthly Price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home WiFi only (no phone lines) | carta | From R499 | Entry-tier unlimited 5G, cheapest pure home internet |
| 2 | Home WiFi + 2 mobile lines | rainOne Home | From R679 | Best value for households with phones |
| 3 | Higher home speeds (60 Mbps+) | rainOne Home pro | R849 – R1,049 | For heavy streaming, gaming, home offices |
| 4 | Office WiFi + 5 mobile lines | rainOne Work | From R825 | Small business solution |
| 5 | Portable unlimited at one location | The Loop (Unlizones) | R475 – R675 | Take unlimited to your office, home, or campus |
| 6 | Basic mobile SIM (phone only) | rain Mobile | R169 | 2 GB data, 60 mins, 100 SMS |
All plans are month-to-month with no fixed contracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Rain’s 5G WiFi really unlimited?
A: Yes. The rainOne and carta 5G WiFi tiers are sold as unlimited with no monthly data cap. Throttling applies only to peak-hour fair-use management. The headline differentiator versus fibre is unlimited usage without a long-term fixed contract.
Q: What do the “free” bundled phones include?
A: rainOne Home includes two SIM lines with 2 GB data, 60 minutes, and 100 SMS each per month. The Work tier extends the same setup across five SIM lines. The phones themselves are not supplied; you bring your own handsets, and Rain provides the SIMs and the call and data allowance.
Q: Is Rain available in my area?
A: Rain runs its own 4G and 5G network with allocated spectrum, so coverage is concentrated in major metros (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria). Smaller towns and outlying suburbs see patchy 5G and fall back to 4G or no service at all. The coverage map on rain.co.za is the only reliable check—even within a covered suburb, individual addresses can differ by a few streets.
Q: Does Rain still offer the old low-cost unlimited plans?
A: No. Rain’s original unlimited 4G data plans at lower price points are no longer available. The product lineup has been restructured around rainOne bundles that combine 5G WiFi with mobile SIMs.
Q: What happens during load-shedding?
A: The Rain network depends on tower power; cells with backup keep transmitting, others go offline for the duration. The router on your end also needs UPS or battery backup to keep WiFi alive. Higher stages of load-shedding realistically means voice and internet drop in step with the cell, not just the router.
Q: Does Rain have customer support issues?
A: Rain’s customer service reviews are mixed. The main procurement caveat is customer-service responsiveness at scale—plan an escalation path before the line goes live.
Q: What does RICA and porting look like?
A: Mobile lines under rainOne and rain Mobile require RICA documentation (ID or passport plus proof of residence). Number porting is supported on rainGO mobile lines. Get the documents ready before signup to avoid a hold on activation.
Summary Table: All Rain Unlimited Data Deals
| # | Plan | Type | Monthly Price | Data Allowance | Contract | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | carta | Home 5G | From R499 | Unlimited | Month-to-month | Entry home internet |
| 2 | rainOne Home (30 Mbps) | Home 5G + 2 SIMs | R649 | Unlimited + 2GB/SIM | Month-to-month | Households |
| 3 | rainOne Home (60 Mbps) | Home 5G + 2 SIMs | R849 | Unlimited + 2GB/SIM | Month-to-month | Heavy users |
| 4 | rainOne Home (Uncapped) | Home 5G + 2 SIMs | R1,049 | Unlimited + 2GB/SIM | Month-to-month | Power users |
| 5 | rainOne Work (30 Mbps) | Business 5G + 5 SIMs | R825 | Unlimited + 2GB/SIM | Month-to-month | Small offices |
| 6 | The Loop (Pergig) | Portable | R475 | 25 GB | Month-to-month | Mobile users |
| 7 | The Loop (Unlizones) | Portable | R675 | Unlimited at 1 zone + 10 GB | Month-to-month | Nomadic workers |
| 8 | rain Mobile | SIM only | R169 | 2 GB | Month-to-month | Basic mobile |
Conclusion
If you’re in a well-serviced area and can live with the limitations—especially the video quality caps and lack of traditional support—Rain’s unlimited plans offer value in South Africa. Their simple pricing model, contract-free design, and unlimited data policy put them ahead of the pack for many users.
Still, for those who need maximum reliability, HD streaming, or live in rural areas, traditional providers like Vodacom or MTN may offer a better—albeit more expensive—experience.
Disclaimer: Prices are subject to change. Always check the official Rain website (www.rain.co.za) for the most current pricing and coverage availability before signing up.