KnowRoaming, the international travel technology company founded by South Africans, has launched KR.One, the universal travel eSIM designed to simplify the connected travel experience and eliminate the need for travellers to install a new eSIM every time they go abroad.
Travellers activate KR.One once and keep their eSIM profile on their device. For future trips, they can add a destination-specific data plan through the KnowRoaming app without downloading and installing another eSIM.
“Travel has become increasingly digital, yet staying connected abroad can still feel unnecessarily complicated,” said Michael Roffey, Executive Director at KnowRoaming. “Travellers tell us they love the flexibility and savings that eSIMs offer but hate having to install a new one for every trip. It’s frustrating having to scan QR codes at the airport and delete old profiles, while hoping it all works when they land. With KR.One we’ve removed that friction. You install it once and, for every trip after that, simply add the plan you need. It’s easier, more convenient and can deliver savings of up to 75% compared to traditional roaming. Best of all, it’s the last eSIM you’ll ever install.”
The launch comes as KnowRoaming expands its presence across Africa, where growing outbound travel and rising demand for digital travel services are creating new opportunities for travel connectivity providers.
African travel enters a new phase
Africa is emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing air travel markets, increasing the need for simple, affordable connectivity across borders. African airline passenger demand grew by 9.4% in 2025, significantly ahead of the 5.3% global growth rate, according to IATA, while demand continued to expand into 2026.
Yet travelling across Africa can still require navigating different mobile operators, roaming tariffs and connectivity options from one country to the next. This becomes particularly challenging for travellers visiting multiple African markets.
Travel eSIMs offer a simpler alternative, enabling travellers to connect digitally when they arrive without having to search for a local SIM card or rely on traditional international roaming. As more travellers look for this kind of convenience, flexibility and affordability, Juniper forecasts global travel eSIM revenue to increase by 380% between 2025 and 2030. Its research also indicates that travellers could save around 75% per gigabyte when compared with traditional roaming services.
Together, Africa’s growing travel demand and fragmented cross-border mobile landscape are creating a significant opportunity for travel eSIM providers such as KnowRoaming. At the same time, they are positioning the continent as a key market for the next phase of eSIM adoption.
Built on KnowRoaming’s global connectivity experience
KnowRoaming has spent years building travel connectivity solutions informed by a deep understanding of the needs and expectations of modern travellers. It combines direct-to-consumer expertise with experience gained from enabling travel connectivity for major brands and digital platforms around the world.
Today, the company provides connectivity across more than 200 destinations, supported by proven technology and infrastructure that delivers access to multiple networks in each destination. Along with deep knowledge of the African travel market, the company is well positioned to help lead the continent into the next era of travel eSIM adoption.
“As connectivity becomes increasingly central to every aspect of travel, trust has become one of the most important considerations for travellers,” said Roffey. “Whether they’re navigating a new city, making a payment or booking transport, travellers need to know they’ll be connected the moment they arrive. Having delivered travel connectivity solutions for travellers and companies across the world, KnowRoaming has the reliability, scale and expertise to give travellers that confidence wherev
A simpler approach to global connectivity
KnowRoaming believes peace of mind should be a standard part of the connected travel experience. Through KR.One, it aims to provide a more trusted and reliable alternative to more conventional offerings.
The need for a simpler approach is clear. Industry research from Kaleido Intelligence shows that nearly three-quarters of international travellers limit their mobile usage while abroad because of roaming costs, while many disable mobile data entirely during their trip. At the same time, complicated activation remains a significant barrier to traditional eSIM adoption.
To address such challenges, KR.One is supported by a redesigned KnowRoaming app and digital experience built around the company’s “one eSIM for life” proposition. Customers can purchase plans, monitor usage and manage connectivity across destinations from within the app.
The KR.One eSIM will pave the way for future KnowRoaming travel connectivity products aimed at frequent travellers, businesses and other travel segments. Africa remains central to these ambitions, with plans for KnowRoaming to expand its presence across key markets over the next 12 to 24 months.
With KR.One, KnowRoaming is taking another step towards a future in which staying connected abroad feels as effortless as it does at home. For travellers, that means less time worrying about connectivity and more freedom to experience the journey.
