Updated: The cheapest and most popular microSD cards in South Africa

Shopping for microSD storage cards for your smartphone, tablet or Nintendo Switch can be a pain in the neck. And I would know.

I’ve been searching for the perfect little storage solution for my Switch, an essential piece of kit if you’ve ever downloaded more than one game to the console.

Thankfully, prices are dropping in South Africa, and 64GB cards that used to cost in excess of R500 just a few years ago, are now well within the R200 price range.

But what if you’re buying a smaller storage card for your parent’s smartphone? Or what if you’re looking to invest in a much larger card so you (the Switch addict) don’t have to lug around muliple?

We’ve searched across South Africa’s online stores to list the most common and cheapest microSD card options available right now separated into four distinct storage groups, from 32GB through to 256GB.

32GB microSD cards

The perfect size for buffing an older or budget smartphone, 32GB is four times the storage that comes with some Android Go phones in 2019. The cheapest option starts at R66.

• Adata microSD card – R66.09 at FirstShop
• Kingston Canvas Select – R81 at Raru | R83 at Loot
• Samsung Evo Plus – R157.30 at FirstShop | R109 at Loot
• SanDisk Ultra – R89 at Takealot | R87.24 at FirstShop

64GB microSD cards

The card I have in my old 2015 Windows tablet is a 64GB, and lets me store a few movies, photographs from events, and important work documents. The cheapest option comes in at R116.

• Adata Premier – R116.59 at FirstShop
• Kingston Canvas Select – R150 at Raru | R152 at Loot | R129.79 at FirstShop
• G.Skill microSD card – R159 at Wootware
• Patriot LX – R190.66 at FirstShop
• SanDisk Ultra – R159 at Takealot | R130.86 at FirstShop
• Strontium Nitro – R165 at Loot
• Transcend 300 S – R158.62 at FirstShop

128GB microSD cards

128GB is the best price-to-size investment you can make at the moment. The cheapest option can be found for just under R250, and we’ve seen cards in the past dip below R200 on specials.

• Adata Premier – R249.83 at FirstShop
• Kingston Canvas Select – R276 at Raru | R280 at Loot
• G.skill microSD card – R259 at Wootware
• Samsung Evo Plus – R499 at Takealot | R412.41 at FirstShop | R425 at Loot | R430 at Wootware
• SanDisk Ultra – R298 at Takealot
• Transcend 300 S – R307.99 at FirstShop | R337 at Wootware
• Transcend 330 S High Performance – R461.32 at FirstShop

256GB microSD cards

Still out of reach for many, 256GB cards still aren’t affordable or worth it. That said, you can now find them for under R600, and the cheapest option we’ve found is a Transcend unit for R559.

• Kingston Canvas Select – R869 at Raru | R727 at Loot | R690.04 at FirstShop
• Samsung Evo Plus – R799 at Takealot
• Transcend 300 S – R559.14 at FirstShop

Article and prices last updated on 1 September 2019.

Feature image: a microSD card on a Nintendo Switch, by Andy Walker/Memeburn