Cape Town – Vodacom customers in South Africa have reported that their mobile data bundles disappeared overnight, with prepaid subscribers appearing to be the worst affected by a disruption that also left some users struggling to access the network and contact customer support.
According to MyBroadband, numerous customers reported on Thursday, 22 October 2026, that their data balances had dropped to zero, with some saying they had lost hundreds of rands worth of purchased bundles.
One customer wrote on the MyBroadband forum: “Woke up this morning and all our Vodacom data have disappeared. Hundreds of rands worth on both phones.”
Another subscriber complained on social media: “Vodacom my data 43GB vanished overnight. I’m trying to call Vodacom, but the number is not going through. What happened to my data?”
The complaints began emerging at around 05:00, according to outage-tracking platform Downdetector, as customers reported problems accessing Vodacom services.
MyBroadband reported that Vodacom’s customer support line, 135, appeared to be overwhelmed, with some callers receiving a message that the number was unavailable.
The disruption also appeared to affect connectivity for some contract customers, although reports of disappearing data were concentrated among prepaid subscribers. Some users reported slow mobile internet speeds or an inability to upload data, while others said they were unaffected.
Vodacom responds to complaints
Vodacom acknowledged the disruption, saying its technical team was working to resolve the problem.
“We’re aware of the issue and understand the frustration this may be causing. Our team is working hard to investigate the matter and find a resolution,” the company said in a response shared on social media, according to MyBroadband.
In a statement to the publication, Vodacom added: “Our technical team is working hard to remedy this as quickly as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused.”
The company had not provided a confirmed explanation for the missing data in the report.
The latest complaints come amid longstanding concerns about mobile network reliability and customer service. In an August 2026 report, ITWeb, citing DataEQ’s 2026 SA Telecoms Customer Experience Index, reported that Vodacom recorded a negative operational customer-experience sentiment score of 48%, reflecting complaints involving network quality, billing and customer support.
Vodacom has also faced similar complaints in the past. BusinessTech reported in August 2017 that customers had complained about disappearing airtime and data. At the time, Vodacom acknowledged a billing issue and said affected customers would be reimbursed.
For now, the cause of the latest incident and the extent of the affected customer base remain unclear. Vodacom customers who notice missing bundles should retain screenshots of their balances and purchase confirmations and contact the operator to request an investigation and correction of any discrepancies.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
