Will you be visiting Burkina Faso soon? Make sure you know what to expect when it comes to a Burkina Faso SIM card.
Fortunately, Africa is one of the best places where you can easily buy a SIM card.
You should be able to find a cheap SIM card almost anywhere in Africa. In fact, most of the data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier.
In this guide, we will explain where to buy a SIM card in Burkina Faso in person and online. We will also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile phone supports them.
Before reading this guide, you may be wondering if you really need a SIM card in Burkina Faso.
If you don’t mind not having internet, you’ll probably find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping centers and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate into French, you can get a SIM card for your travels in Burkina Faso.
Best SIM cards for Burkina Faso
If you are traveling in Burkina Faso, we recommend using an Orange or Airalo SIM card. (I’ll come back to Airalo later, so keep reading to learn more.)
That said, if you plan to visit other countries during your trip to Africa, you may want to make sure you choose an option that offers coverage in other Middle Eastern countries.
How to buy a SIM card in Burkina Faso?
You can either buy a Burkina Faso prepaid SIM card in person at some international airports, mobile carrier stores, convenience stores, or online.
You can usually expect higher costs and lower data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops at every airport, so it’s important to keep that in mind. And when you see a store, you may also have limited options.
For this reason, I would recommend buying a SIM card directly from a mobile provider store. Note that you may need a passport to purchase.
Although this means you won’t get data right after your arrival. So if you prefer to be always connected, you can use an eSIM or buy a Middle East prepaid SIM card online.
Now let’s see the data plans offered by Orange.
Orange SIM cards
Orange offers one prepaid plan.
- 1.5 GB, valid for 90 days for CFA 250 ($4.16)
How to buy Burkina Faso prepaid SIM card online
If you want your SIM card ready for arrival, you can buy it online or from sites like Amazon.
You will find various programs on Amazon. For example, OneSimCard works in 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. Burkina Faso included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so take a look and make sure the countries you plan to visit are listed.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Burkina Faso or, if you travel to many countries, an eSIM plan for Africa.
How to buy a Burkina Faso eSIM card?
eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.
If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards, it is definitely one of the best options to get data in Burkina Faso.
Interested? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers with eSIM Roamers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my cell phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo, a reliable eSIM provider.
Read on to learn more about the best eSIMs in Burkina Faso.
Eralo Burkina Faso
If you want to buy an eSIM for Burkina Faso, you can buy it on Airalo.
This site offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Africa and Burkina Faso.
I have been using Airalo for a few months now and it is working well. Learn more by reading our Airalo review.
Here are the available options:
- Volta: 1GB valid for 7 days for $9.50
Alternatively, if you’re traveling to other countries, Hello Africa offers coverage in 27 countries, including Burkina Faso.
Here is an overview of the options available in Hello Africa:
- 1GB valid for 30 days for $27
- 3GB valid for 30 days for $59
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you need to follow the provider in each country.
Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your travels.
In that case, it may be because you are automatically connecting to networks and need to manually select a network instead.
When you buy an eSIM, you’ll have access to a list of supported networks in each country.
Final thoughts on Burkina Faso SIM cards
As you can see, getting a Burkina Faso prepaid SIM card or even an eSIM for your travels in Burkina Faso is quite simple.
You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Africa without having to change your SIM card, especially if you go to the Middle East or a global plan.
I think an eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Burkina Faso if you want to have data after arrival.
This way you won’t need to go to the store to buy a SIM card.
Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Heading to Africa soon? Read one of the following blog posts: