MTN Zambia’s New 100% Bonus Promotion: A Review

We all love freebies, c’mon, especially in this data-bundle-loving and calling generation. Telecoms companies like MTN know this. So it’s not shocking that they have now introduced a 100% bonus promotion that gives back what a subscriber uses, kwacha for kwacha, for a minimal subscription fee of 50 ngwee per day.

Newly launched, the promotion will give back every subscriber who signs up a 100% bonus back on the airtime they recharge with, for example, you get K5 for a K5 that you top up with. What’s wrong with it? Calls and SMSs using the bonus airtime can only be used on MTN to MTN numbers. A total customer retention plan, no doubt, and we don’t blame them. A telecoms company’s got to do what a telecoms company’s got to do. No, really, someone said that.

When it came to data bundles, however, the 100% bonus promotion story goes downhill. You only get back 100% on whatever you use from a bundle you pay for. For example, if you use 500MB from a 1GB data bundle that day, you only get 500MB free data, not the entire 1GB that you topped up with. Yes, we pulled our hair out too.

Then it gets worse, you can only use the bonus data between midnight and 06:00 in the morning. From an accounting perspective, MTN still gets to make money off your 50 ngwee daily subscription but you may not use the free data because well, you’re asleep, and the bundle is only valid for 24 hours!

If targeted at the modern student, night shift-worker or insomniac, this 100% bonus promotion is perfect for them because they will have free data that can keep them busy late at night and into the morning.

The problem with most telecoms’ promotions is that they have more terms and conditions (T&Cs) compared to benefits. It feels like they sell you a dream sometimes. If the bonus data usage could be switched up to allow a subscriber use it anytime they want, then they could win at this telecom thing in Zambia.

Image Credit: MTN Facebook Page