A Pondu Mobile travel eSIM for DR Congo starts at $7.50 for 1 GB over 7 days. The product page lists the speed as 4G. Five plans are published, and there is no unlimited option on this product. Coverage is DR Congo.
Key facts
| Country | DR Congo |
| Network | Pondu Mobile |
| Speed | 4G (published on the product page; subject to carrier Fair Usage Policy) |
| From | $7.50 for 1 GB / 7 days |
| Validity | 7, 15, or 30 days |
| Install | QR code, before you fly |
What a Pondu Mobile eSIM costs
The published plans on the DR Congo travel eSIM are $7.50 for 1 GB valid 7 days, $12.50 for 2 GB valid 15 days, $16.50 for 3 GB valid 30 days, $25.00 for 5 GB valid 30 days, and $45.00 for 10 GB valid 30 days. There is no unlimited SKU. The price list rewards going bigger: per gigabyte the entry plan costs $7.50, 2 GB comes to $6.25, 3 GB to $5.50, 5 GB to $5.00, and the 10 GB plan works out at $4.50 per gigabyte, roughly a third less than the smallest plan. For a city stay the 1 GB plan is enough; for anything longer the 5 GB or 10 GB plan is the better buy rather than topping up the same small plan twice.
Network
The plan is sold under the operator name Pondu Mobile and the supported country is DR Congo. The product page publishes the speed as 4G, and real speed still depends on the mast, the handset, and the carrier Fair Usage Policy. DR Congo is covered as one country on this plan. Coverage is concentrated in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani and Matadi, with thinner service across the interior between them. That matters more here than almost anywhere else: this is the second largest country in Africa at about 2.35 million square kilometres, so the road distances between cities are measured in days. The product page does not publish a coverage map, so save your maps, hotel confirmations, and onward tickets offline before you travel. Do not assume this plan works across the border: it does not cover the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, or the Central African Republic.
How much data you actually need
Maps, chat, and booking confirmations fit inside 1 GB for a short stay in Kinshasa, provided you download maps offline before you arrive. A trip with one or two internal flights and daily photo uploads is realistically 2 GB to 3 GB. If you are also sharing the connection or posting video, plan on 5 GB or 10 GB, which at these prices is cheaper than buying the small plan twice. Nothing on this product is cheap enough to leave a hotspot running, so use hotel Wi-Fi for updates and keep mobile data for the days you are actually moving.
Unlimited data
This product has no unlimited plan. The 10 GB plan over 30 days at $45.00 is the ceiling, and it is the best value on the list at $4.50 per gigabyte. If you need more than ten gigabytes in DR Congo, the practical options are a second eSIM or a local SIM bought on arrival, not a bigger travel plan.
Dual SIM
Keep your home SIM for calls and bank texts. Turn on data roaming only for the Pondu Mobile line. iPhone: Settings, Mobile Data, pick the travel line. Android: Settings, Network, SIMs, set mobile data to the travel eSIM. Do this before you leave the airport Wi-Fi.
Arrival and transit
The main gateway is Kinshasa (FIH), with Lubumbashi (FBM), Goma (GOM) and Kisangani (FKI) as the other international entries. By land you can cross from Rwanda at Goma/Gisenyi and Bukavu/Rusizi, from Uganda at Kasindi and Bunagana, from Zambia at Kasumbalesa, and from the Republic of the Congo on the Kinshasa to Brazzaville ferry. Install the eSIM on hotel or home Wi-Fi before the flight, then switch the data line on after you clear arrivals. You do not need a local shop or a passport photo for this plan.
Install
- Buy the plan and open the QR code in the order email while you still have Wi-Fi.
- On the phone, add an eSIM and scan that code. Label the line “DR Congo”.
- After landing, set mobile data to that line and leave your home number on for texts.
Phone compatibility
The phone must be carrier-unlocked and eSIM-capable. iPhone XS and later, and recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models, qualify. A locked handset will not take the QR code. Check the lock status with your home carrier before you pay.
FAQ
Q1: How much is the cheapest DR Congo eSIM?
$7.50 for 1 GB, valid 7 days, on the Pondu Mobile plan.
Q2: Which operator is on the plan?
Pondu Mobile. The supported country is DR Congo.
Q3: Does it include calls and SMS?
No. It is a data plan, with voice calls only through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. Keep your home SIM for calls and one-time passwords.
Q4: Is it 5G?
No. The product page lists the speed as 4G. Real speed still depends on coverage and the Fair Usage Policy.
Q5: Is DR Congo the same as the Republic of the Congo?
No, they are two separate countries with separate plans and separate borders. This product covers DR Congo only. Kinshasa faces Brazzaville across the river, so a plan for one country does not work in the other.
Q6: Will it work outside DR Congo?
No. The Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic each need their own plan.
Q7: Is there an unlimited option?
No. There is no unlimited SKU on this product, and the largest plan is 10 GB over 30 days at $45.00.
Q8: Can I share it as a hotspot?
Yes, within the data allowance. It is better value to buy the 5 GB or 10 GB plan than to hotspot on the 1 GB plan.
Q9: What if the QR code fails?
Use the manual activation code in the same email. The phone still has to be unlocked.
Q10: When were these prices checked?
October 2026, against the published variation prices on travelydata.com.
Bottom line
DR Congo has the cheapest entry price of its neighbours at $7.50 for the first gigabyte, and buying up is genuinely rewarded: the 10 GB plan over 30 days costs $4.50 per gigabyte, a third less than the 1 GB plan. There is no unlimited option, coverage is concentrated in the main cities and much thinner across a country the size of Western Europe, and a plan from any neighbouring country will not cover it. Buy the size that matches your route and save your maps offline before you fly.
Prices and coverage verified on travelydata.com, October 2026.
