Traveling to Niger any time soon and looking for the best way to stay connected on your trip? This is a complete guide for buying a sim card for Niger with everything you need to know. Where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per January 2024, best 3G/4G network in Niger, my experiences, my recommendations, info about buying a sim card at Niamey International Airport and more info about international and e-sim cards for Niger.
This article is based on my own experiences and updated with the latest info as per January 2024. On my trip to Niger I visited the Gerewol Festival, Agadez and Niamey and had an incredible time visiting Niger.
As part of visiting every country in the world I traveled to Niger and it was country no. 117/197 for me. Providing travelers with info about the best ways to get data on their phones when traveling abroad is something I am passionated about.
Mostly I ended up with a local prepaid sim card and sometimes with an e-sim card depending on the country. Therefore on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all around the world: USA, Burkina Faso, Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon, Gabon, Hong Kong, Egypt, Cairo, South Africa, Europe, Asia, Turkey, Asia and many more.
So whenever you are planning your next adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and e-sim card advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me!
Why buying a sim card in Niger
Did you know that overseas data plans limit their speed? Let’s not even talk about the price of these plans. Local prepaid sim cards are the cheapest and best way to stay connected. Getting a sim card in Niger takes only a couple minutes and you are guaranteed with the fastest data connection possible.
Having a data connection on your phone makes traveling so much easier. Think about using GPS for directions, make travel arrangements on the go, order an Uber (well just kidding, there is no Uber in Niger), find nearby restaurants, etc. I can come up with a long list why being connected to the internet makes your trip to Niger much easier.
Also don’t rely on public WiFi, this is Central Africa and with all do respect but facilities are not like back home. Public WiFi is non existing in most places. Hotels do provide WiFi, but connection is very shaky and slow. Plus be aware that roaming the internet on public WiFi is through an UNSECURED connection, the use of a VPN is recommended.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends an Airtel sim card for Niger. They have by far the best network and I did not have any problems using the 4G and 3G. Data is cheap in Niger!
There are also international prepaid sim cards for traveling the world. Click on the link to see my list of the best global sim cards for travelers in 2024. There is one sim card that also work perfectly fine for traveling to Niger. The Orange Holiday World sim card gives you 10 GB data for $49.90 USD.
While traveling in Niger I also recorded a vlog about my experiences getting a local prepaid sim card in Niger. Check it out below.
Best e-sim cards for Niger
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Niger in 2024 is an e-sim card. You simply order one on the internet.
If you want to buy a sim card in Niger then you can only buy a physical prepaid sim cards, there are no e-sim cards available for tourists.
If you want to buy an e-sim card for traveling to Niger you will have to order one on the internet.
Order your Niger e-sim card online, receive a QR-code, scan it, follow the steps and you are all set within just a couple minutes. No more swapping physical sim cards or visiting a sim card shop.
Airalo
Unfortunately Airalo is one of the very few e-sim providers that offers e-sim card plans for Niger.
Arrive prepared for your trip to Niger with the following Niger e-sim card:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $9.5 USD
Click here to directly order this e-sim card for Niger via Airalo.
If you don’t want to swap sim cards and change phone numbers and your phone is not e-sim card compatible then you might want to look into a portable WiFi device.
Read my article about how to get WiFi when traveling and decide for yourself is this is something you rather like. I am NOT a fan!
This also applies when your phone is locked, which is often the case for phones bought in the USA. Before buying a local prepaid sim card or e-sim card always first check if your phone is unlocked. All phones from Europe are in general automatically unlocked.
Prepaid sim card registration in Niger
Officially when buying a sim card in Niger you will have to register with your passport, just like in almost any other country. However, when buying a sim card in Niger from a random kiosk or seller on the streets, you don’t have to register with your passport.
This could be a quick easy solution as these sim cards are pre-registered for you on someone else’s name.
You will have to take your existing sim card out of your phone and put in a local prepaid sim card from Niger. That automatically means you are changing phone numbers.
Where to buy a sim card in Niger
Traveltomtom does NOT recommend buying a Niger sim card from any random kiosk and advices you to go to an official retail store where your Niger sim card gets registered with your passport on your name.
Why? Sim cards from the streets might suddenly stop working and then fixing it is impossible because they are not registered on your name.
Also at the official retail stores they will give you double data offers and other promotions. In my case I bought 4 GB data for 3,000 XOF and was granted 100% data bonus, so I got 8 GB data for the same price ($5 USD).
Buying a sim card at Niamey Airport
Unfortunately as you might have seen in my vlog there are NO sim card kiosks at Niamey Airport. You can however buy a local sim card off the book. There are local people roaming the airport selling pre registered sim cards for Niger at crazy prices!
Some guy tried selling me a prepaid sim card for $10 USD, see the vlog. Some asked $3 USD. The price for a local prepaid sim card in Niger is officially only $1 USD.
If you want to get connected straight away on arrival then then make sure you negotiate the price first and make sure your data connection is working before you walk away from these guys. They accept dollars, euros and local money.
Mobile internet providers in Niger
There are 3 main mobile internet providers in Niger that sell prepaid sim cards for tourists:
- Airtel
- Zamani / Orange
- Moov
You will see their signs everywhere on the streets, although you will mostly see Airtel signs when traveling in Niger.
Prices prepaid sim cards in Niger
Info and prices below are up to date as per January 2024. Prices are in West African Franc (XOF): 100 XOF = $0.17 USD and $1 USD = 601 XOF.
Airtel
An Airtel prepaid sim card costs 500 XOF which is $0.9 USD. You will have to add one of the daily, weekly or monthly data bundles. When buying a data bundle you get a little bonus credit which can be used for calls, but it is very little.
- 2,000 XOF = 2.5 GB for 7 days
- 3,000 XOF = 4 GB for 7 days
- 5,000 XOF = 4 GB for 30 days
- 10,000 XOF = 12 GB for 30 days
- 20,000 XOF = 30 GB for 30 days
As said before when buying my sim card at the Airtel store I was offered double data. For the same price. This 100% bonus applies on 4 days of the week only, see the latest Airtel Niger data bundle offers on their website.
Zamani/Orange
A Zamani prepaid sim card also costs 500 XOF and they also have daily, weekly and monthly data bundles to choose from plus they have separate social media data packages.
- 2,000 XOF = 2 GB for 7 days
- 5,000 XOF = 5 GB for 30 days
- 10,000 XOF = 12 GB for 30 days
- 20,000 XOF = 30 GB for 30 days
As you can see the Zamani prepaid data bundle prices are more or less the same as Airtel.
The social media data packages are rather small and not really worth it when asking me. The best one is:
- 2,000 XOF = 2 GB on YouTube and 1 GB on Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram
On the Zamani Niger website you can find the latest data bundle offers.
MOOV
A MOOV sim card also costs 500 XOF and just like Airtel and Zamani you can top up with daily, weekly and monthly data bundles.
- 1,000 XOF = 2 GB for 7 days
- 2,000 XOF = 3 GB for 7 days
- 5,000 XOF = 6 GB for 30 days
- 10,000 XOF = 15 GB for 30 days
- 20,000 XOF = 40 GB for 30 days
As you can see MOOV offers more value for money than Airtel and Zamani. Click here to check out the latest MOOV data bundles on their website.
Best mobile data network in Niger
To determine what is the best sim card for traveling in Niger we should not only look at the prices but also take into consideration the mobile network coverage.
These days I normally check if there is a 5G signal available, however in Niger you can already be happy when you can connect to a 4G/LTE signal. There is only a 4G/LTE signal available in Niamey, Agadez, Zinder and a couple other Niger tourist destinations.
3G/4G network coverage map MOOV
3G/4G network coverage map Zamani/Orange
3G/4G network coverage map Airtel
My research showed me that Airtel has the best network in Niger in 2024 and that is also why I chose to buy an Airtel sim card for Niger. I compared the Niger mobile internet network coverage maps and Airtel came out the best.
However, in 2024 Zamani/Orange seems to be gaining ground and the Zamani mobile network in Niger is getting stronger and stronger. So buying an Zamani sim card in Niger would probably also be worth checking out.
This is the network coverage map based on the available data but my own experiences where even better than indicated. The actual phone signal is stronger than indicated on the map.
I traveled southwest from Agadez for about 300 kilometer to the Gerewol Festival and there was often a 3G signal on this road. Nothing to write home about, but at least enough for checking social media, emails and WhatsApp.
Best sim card for Niger in 2024
As you have been able to read in the above MOOV has the best prices for prepaid data bundles and is significantly cheaper than Airtel and Zamani/Orange. Airtel and Zamani/Orange they offer pretty much the same value for money when it comes to data packages.
The reason MOOV is much cheaper is also because they have the smallest network coverage in Niger by far. Therefore alone I would NOT recommend a MOOV sim card for Niger. However, when just visiting Niamey MOOV is just as good as the other mobile internet providers.
But when traveling around the country and visiting several Niger tourist destinations Airtel is the best prepaid sim card for Niger in 2024. They have the best mobile network coverage by far.
Buy a prepaid sim card for Niger online
If your phone is not e-sim compatible and you don't want the hassle of buying a sim card on arrival in Niger then check out this option.
The following Orange international prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address before your trip as a physical sim card. These international sim cards are already activated and work immediately from its first time it connects to a supported network. So basically as soon as the plane lands you can contact your pick up.
Click on the link below to order it directly online or get more info.
Orange Holiday World - $49.90
- 10 GB data
- NO calls/text
- valid for 14 days
Click here to order an international e-sim card for Niger directly online via SimOptions.
Don't forget that if your phone is e-sim compatible you can order an e-sim card for Niger. Click on the link for more info or directly order one via Airalo.
My experiences buying a sim card in Niger
On arrival at the airport I checked out the options for buying a Niger sim card, but I kindly refused the guys who were trying to sell me a sim card for an outrageous price and waited till I got in to the city. I walked around and gained some info at some random kiosk before I made my way to one of the official Airtel shops.
My recommendation is to go to the Airtel shop next to the Niamey Artisanal Village, a craft market. The lady spoke some English and a friendly English speaking local helped me out even more. The few tourists that visit Niger often come here, so they know a little bit of English.
I was granted 100% bonus and for 3,000 XOF which is about $5 USD I got 4 GB + 4 GB = 8 GB data. A great offer that even came with some bonus credit which I could use for calling, although it was very little.
Overall my experiences using Airtel in Niger were good and so was the experience of the rest of the group I was traveling with. Some handy numbers to know for Airtel Niger are:
- For checking your remaining saldo with Airtel Niger dial: *121#
- For activating a new data bundle dial: *612#
These are the weekly data bundle offers which you can easily choose from the menu.
- For checking your own number: *900#
Also make sure you have the right internet setting for APN, see below.
I hope all the above tips for buying a prepaid sim card in Niger were helpful. If you still have any other questions please leave me a comment below and I will try to help you out.
Curious to follow my road to visit every country in the world? Check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom. As of January 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries around the world. So still a long way to go.
Here is a photo from my trip to Niger.
Enjoy your trip to Niger!
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for Niger are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you!