The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is the first to be shared by three countries. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania host 24 teams from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with matches planned in Nairobi, Kampala, Hoima, Lira, Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar. It is also the first time the tournament comes to East Africa since 1976. For fans, three hosts means three borders and three very different prices for mobile data. A fan who stays in Nairobi for the group stage needs a different eSIM from one who follows their team from Kampala to Dar es Salaam for the knockouts, and the plan with Africa in its name is not the right answer for either. This guide covers the dates, why your phone will matter at the gate, what data costs in each host country, which eSIM to buy for one country, two or all three, the buys that cost fans more, crossing borders between hosts, and adding a safari to the trip.
AFCON 2027 at a glance: dates, hosts and the knockout calendar
The tournament opens on Saturday 19 June 2027 and the final is on Saturday 17 July. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania qualify automatically as hosts, and the other 21 places are decided in qualifiers that run until March 2027.
Matches are planned in seven cities: Nairobi in Kenya, Kampala, Hoima and Lira in Uganda, and Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar in Tanzania. CAF has not yet published which matches go where, and the venue list could still change, so most fans will not know which country their team plays its knockout games in until the group stage ends.
- Group stage: 19 to 30 June 2027
- Round of 16: 2 to 5 July
- Quarter-finals: 7 and 8 July
- Semi-finals: 11 and 12 July
- Third-place match: 15 July
- Final: Saturday 17 July
Your phone will be your ticket
At the last Africa Cup of Nations, in Morocco, the fan ID, the tickets and stadium entry all lived in one official app, with a QR code scanned at the gate. CAF has not announced the ticketing system for 2027 yet, but fans should expect their phone to be their ticket again.
That makes data at the stadium more than a convenience. On top of the ticket, the taxi to the ground, the walk to the right entrance and meeting your friends after the match all depend on a working connection. Large crowds slow every network down, so load your ticket before you leave for the stadium, not in the queue.
- Morocco 2025: fan ID, tickets and entry in one app, QR code at the gate
- 2027 ticketing: not announced yet
- Load your ticket before you leave for the stadium
- Rides, maps and group chats all need data on matchday
Three hosts, three prices: what data costs in each country
Mobile data does not cost the same across the three hosts. Kenya is the cheapest by a clear margin. In Uganda, our 30-day plans cost about twice what the same amount of data costs in Kenya. Tanzania sits in between: from 5 GB up, its plans cost around 1.7 times the Kenya plan of the same size.
Tanzania also has no 30-day 3 GB plan. Its 3 GB plan runs for 15 days, which suits a fan in Tanzania for the group stage or a single knockout round. For longer stays, its 5 GB plan runs for 30 days.
That price gap is the reason the right eSIM depends on where you will be. A fan based in Nairobi pays far less for a month of data than one based in Kampala, and a plan that covers all three countries is priced closer to the expensive end.
- Kenya: the cheapest host for data at every size
- Uganda: about twice Kenya for the same amount of data
- Tanzania: around 1.7 times Kenya from 5 GB up
- Tanzania's 3 GB plan runs for 15 days, its larger plans for 30
Which eSIM to buy: one country, two or all three
If you will stay in one host country, buy that country's plan. It is the cheapest way to get data there, and it does not make you pay for countries you will not visit.
If you have planned a trip across two hosts and Kenya is one of them, two country plans cost less than one plan that covers both, for the same total data, at every size from 3 GB per country up. Both eSIMs live on one phone, and on landing in the second country you point mobile data at its line.
If you are following your team and do not know where the knockout rounds will take you, buy our global plan for 120+ destinations. It covers Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on one eSIM, so your data follows your team wherever the draw sends it. For 20 GB split across Uganda and Tanzania, it is also the cheapest option outright.
The tournament lasts 29 days from the opener to the final, inclusive. Validity is counted from the moment the eSIM first joins a network in the destination, so a 30-day plan bought for the whole tournament covers the final as long as you land no earlier than the day before the opener.
- One host country: that country's plan
- Two hosts including Kenya: two country plans, both on one phone
- Following your team without knowing where: our global plan for 120+ destinations
- 20 GB across Uganda and Tanzania: the global plan is cheapest
- Opener to final: 29 days, so a 30-day plan covers the whole tournament
How much data a football trip to East Africa needs
Following a tournament burns through more data than an ordinary holiday. Ticket apps, taxis, navigation, live scores and clips filmed in the stands all draw on the eSIM, and matchdays keep you far from hotel Wi-Fi.
For the group stage only, around 12 days, 3 to 5 GB covers a fan who uses maps and messages and posts now and then. For the whole tournament, choose 10 GB. Fans who record a lot of video, watch streams or tether friends should pick 20 GB.
Our Kenya, Tanzania and global plans all accept top-ups. If your team's run outlasts your data, you add more to the eSIM already installed instead of starting over.
- Group stage only, around 12 days: 3 to 5 GB
- The whole tournament: 10 GB
- Lots of video, streaming or tethering: 20 GB
- Kenya, Tanzania and global plans accept top-ups
Three buys to skip on an AFCON trip
Three purchases look sensible for AFCON and cost more than the right one.
The first is the plan with Africa in its name. Our Africa plan covers all three hosts, but our global plan for 120+ destinations covers them too, and costs less at every size the Africa plan is sold in. The name sounds like the right fit. The price says otherwise.
The second is unlimited. In all three hosts, seven days of our unlimited plan are priced close to a 30-day 20 GB plan, and in Uganda above it. Unless you stream for hours every day, a fixed plan with a top-up is the better buy.
The third is the one-day plan. In Kenya and Tanzania, a single day with 2 GB is priced at about two thirds of the country's 3 GB plan, which lasts for weeks. The one-day plan ends after a single day and cannot be topped up. Even a fan crossing a border for one match is better off with a plan that lasts a week or more.
- The Africa plan: costs more than the global plan at every size it is sold in
- Unlimited: a week costs about as much as a 20 GB month, or more
- The one-day plan: about two thirds of a multi-week plan, with no top-up
- The right buy: a country plan, two country plans or the global plan
Why not buy a local SIM when you land?
You can, but it takes time on the day you arrive. In Kenya, registering a SIM means presenting your original passport at a shop or dealer, having your photo taken and filling in a registration form. Uganda and Tanzania register SIMs too. Following your team across two or three hosts means doing it again at each border.
With an eSIM, the setup happens on your sofa before the trip. The line wakes up when you arrive, travels with you into the next host country, and your usual SIM keeps handling calls and texts.
One honest exception: M-Pesa, the mobile money service used everywhere in Kenya, runs on a Kenyan phone number. Our eSIM is data only, so fans who want to pay with M-Pesa will need a local Kenyan line for that.
- Local SIMs are registered in person with your passport
- Each new host country means a new registration
- An eSIM is set up before the trip and carries on across borders
- M-Pesa needs a Kenyan phone number, which a data-only eSIM does not give you
Crossing borders between the three hosts
Short flights link Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam, and many fans will cross at least one border during the tournament. Each country plan works only in its own country, so a fan with country plans switches the data line on landing. A fan on the global plan does nothing at all.
Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so matches there are covered by the Tanzania plan. Arusha, the gateway to the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro, is in Tanzania too.
Check entry rules before you book. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, but not Tanzania, which has its own visa rules. Rules change, so confirm on official sources before you fly.
- Country plans: switch the data line at each border
- The global plan: one eSIM for all three hosts
- Zanzibar and Arusha: covered by the Tanzania plan
- The East Africa Tourist Visa does not cover Tanzania
Adding a safari to your AFCON trip
Many fans will add the trip of a lifetime between matches: the Maasai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro from Arusha, or the mountain gorillas in Uganda. The tournament falls in the dry season, when many safari trips run.
Mobile signal thins out in remote parks on every network, so download offline maps before you head out and expect to rely on camp Wi-Fi in the evenings. If the safari takes you to Rwanda for the gorillas there, note that Rwanda is not on our global list or our Africa list: buy a Rwanda plan for those days.
- Kenya: the Maasai Mara; Tanzania: the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro; Uganda: mountain gorillas
- Download offline maps before you go into the parks
- Rwanda needs its own plan
Supporters' clubs, tour operators and travel agencies
Many fans will travel to AFCON in organised groups: supporters' clubs, travel packages and companies taking clients to matches. Club secretaries and trip organisers can ask us for a single price covering every member, settle it on one invoice, and we email each fan their own eSIM.
Agencies selling AFCON trips can earn instead of buy: through our affiliate program, every eSIM bought with your link or code earns you 12%, and the code takes money off the traveller's order.
- Supporters' clubs: a single price, a single invoice, every fan's eSIM by email
- Agencies selling AFCON trips: 12% commission via the affiliate program
- Your code also gives travellers money off
Matchday-ready in ten minutes: what to do before you fly
Most of this takes ten minutes on Wi-Fi at home, and none of it is easy at an airport counter.
- Confirm the phone is unlocked and can take an eSIM
- Decide how many host countries you will visit, then pick a country plan, two country plans or the global plan
- Install your eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, with the new line off until you land
- Install the official ticketing app as soon as CAF announces it
- Download offline maps of every host city on your route
- On arrival, enable the eSIM line and turn roaming on for it
- Check the visa rules for every host country you will enter
Frequently asked questions
Which eSIM should I buy for AFCON 2027?
It depends on how many host countries you visit. For one country, buy that country's plan. For two including Kenya, buy two country plans. If you follow your team without knowing where the knockouts will be, our global plan for 120+ destinations covers Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on one eSIM.
When and where is AFCON 2027?
From Saturday 19 June to Saturday 17 July 2027, in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Matches are planned in Nairobi, Kampala, Hoima, Lira, Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar.
Is there one eSIM that works in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania?
Yes. Our global plan for 120+ destinations covers all three on one eSIM, and so does our Africa plan, but the global plan costs less at every size the Africa plan is sold in.
Which host country has the cheapest data?
Kenya, by a clear margin. Our 30-day plans in Uganda cost about twice the Kenya price for the same data, and Tanzania costs around 1.7 times Kenya from 5 GB up.
Will a 30-day plan last the whole tournament?
Yes, if you land no earlier than the day before the opener. The tournament lasts 29 days including the opener and the final, and validity counts from the eSIM's first connection in the host country.
How much data do I need for AFCON?
Around 3 to 5 GB for the group stage only, 10 GB for the whole tournament and 20 GB for heavy video or tethering. Kenya, Tanzania and global plans accept top-ups if the data gets tight.
Will I need my phone to get into the stadium?
Very likely. At AFCON in Morocco, tickets and fan ID lived in one official app with a QR code at the gate. CAF has not announced the 2027 system yet, so watch for the official app and load your ticket before you leave for the ground.
Can I use M-Pesa with a travel eSIM?
No. M-Pesa runs on a Kenyan phone number, and our eSIM is data only. Fans who want M-Pesa need a local Kenyan line for it, registered in person with a passport.
Does the Tanzania plan work in Zanzibar?
Yes. Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so matches and stays there are covered by the Tanzania plan, as is Arusha.
Can I keep WhatsApp on my own number?
Yes. Your WhatsApp account is tied to your usual number, not to the SIM carrying data. Leave your home line on for calls and texts and let the eSIM handle mobile data.
Is an unlimited plan worth it for AFCON?
Rarely. Seven days of our unlimited plan cost close to a 30-day 20 GB plan in every host, and more in Uganda. Nearly every fan spends less with a fixed amount and a top-up.
I am adding a gorilla trek in Rwanda. What do I need?
A separate Rwanda plan. Rwanda is not on our global list or our Africa list, so buy a Rwanda plan for the days you are there and keep your AFCON eSIM on the same phone.
Can I buy eSIMs for our supporters' club?
Yes. Tell us how many fans are travelling and we come back with one price, one invoice and an eSIM emailed to each member. Agencies selling AFCON trips can instead sign up as affiliates and take 12% of every eSIM sold through their code.