Many people are unaware that their mobile providers have their own apps through which you can manage your account. But how effective are these apps, and who has the best one? Let's take a look at each mobile providers' app and how they fare against each other. We also take a look at various ratings, from Google Play reviews to other gauges of quality for the apps.

MyMTN

• The MyMTN app allows subscribers to top up airtime and view balances;
• You can see your current bill and how high it has gotten, as well as previous bills;
• It allows you to manage your bundle subscriptions, such as SMS and data bundles;
• You can also track your usage of various services (voice, data, etc) over time;
• You can also view a coverage map and store locator.

Telkom had the lowest rated app, with the company being the only one to have more than 50% of its reviews at only one star. The mobile provider app has an overall rating of 2.3/5, with 54% of reviews giving only one star. Most of the criticism of the app is regarding app errors which limit functionality. When it is working, people complain that there is a delay in updating balances. Users also complained that they could not register or log in on the app, possibly due to the amount of details needed.

Google Play Review

MyMTN has a score of 4/5. Out of the 4 244 reviews, 564 (13%) were one-star ratings. In terms of five-star ratings, 55.5% of the app's reviews gave full marks.

Cell C

The Cell C app has the most security requirements in terms of creating an account. It requires your number and a One-Time Pin (OTP) like the others, however, you also need to register a password and a passcode.

• It allows you to buy bundles;
• You can view your transaction history;
• Top up your airtime;
• You can also register for services such as Wi-Fi calling and premium services;
• In addition to this, you can also view your balances like the other apps;
• You will also be able to access your PUK number.

Google Play Review

Cell C has a rating of 3.5/5. Cell C overall had much fewer reviews, likely due to the smaller user base. A quarter of the reviews gave one star, while 47% gave five stars.

Read More about the best banking apps in South Africa below 

My Vodacom

My Vodacom offers the usual functionality of balance checks and account management.

• It allows you to shop for devices,
• View promotions;
• View your purchase history;
• Manage your value added services;
• Redeem points for gifts and
• Check your network coverage in different areas.

An interesting element is the current Play Every Day feature, which allows you to play one free game daily to stand a chance of winning prizes. Players can buy more turns to play more. Prizes include discounts and entries to raffles for products. The Bill So Far function, the same as the one in the MTN app, is also very useful when keeping track of expenses.

Google Play Review

My Vodacom has a rating of 3.5/5. Just under a quarter of the reviews were one-star. Five-star ratings accounted for 45.4% of reviews.

Telkom App

The Telkom App is pretty comprehensive when it comes to functionality.

• It allows users to view and pay their accounts;
• View data and airtime balances;
• Top up these balances;
• Submit and track faults and orders;
• Manage their subscriptions;
• Change their spend limits.
• More recently the app updated to allow users to see prepaid balances.

What makes this app slightly different to those of other mobile companies is that it can be used to manage mobile, home and other internet accounts with Telkom. The app appears to have similar features to the website, meaning that users may just choose to manage their accounts through their browser instead of their phone.

Google Play Review

Telkom had the lowest rated app, with the company being the only one to have more than 50% of its reviews at only one star. The mobile provider app has an overall rating of 2.3/5, with 54% of reviews giving only one star. Most of the criticism of the app is regarding app errors which limit functionality. When it is working, people complain that there is a delay in updating balances. Users also complained that they could not register or log in on the app, possibly due to the amount of details needed.

What Does Each Mobile Provider App Do Best?

Many of the mobile provider apps are similar, but some of them stand out in their own ways. My Vodacom stands out in terms of extended functionality, as well as giving users more reasons to log in. Some apps are very similar to their respective websites, meaning the app is mainly useful for mobile-only users. My Vodacom adds an incentive for users to use the app though their Play Every Day feature. Shopping for other deals and devices is also a useful feature. Meanwhile, MyMTN is a significant improvement over the MTN website. It is more user-friendly and allows individual users and not just the account holder to track information for the specific number. Telkom's app is a multi-use app - meaning that it is particularly convenient for those who have various Telkom accounts, including home packages. However, it doesn't provide much over using the Telkom site, which also allows you to link accounts. In terms of security, Cell C is the mobile provider with the most strict and most protected app. Telkom requires specific account details too, meaning not anyone can just log in. The presence of an OTP on each app helps secure your details. However, by only using an OTP, anyone who has your phone can enter the app. Who do you think has the best app in the industry?