Car trackers with no monthly fee: what they do, and why your insurer may not accept one

What is a tracker with no monthly fee?

There are two kinds. A self-monitored GPS tracker goes in the car and reports where it is for you to follow; several sold in South Africa are GSM or 4G devices, and some are listed with a relay that can cut the engine.¹ A Bluetooth tag has no SIM of its own. Apple says an AirTag “sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network”, and those devices send its location to iCloud.¹⁰

Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2 works the same way through SmartThings Find, with a Bluetooth range of “Up to 120 m”.¹¹ Samsung’s South African newsroom said in 2023 that the tag “needs to be paired with ultra-wideband (UWB)-enabled Galaxy smartphones with Android 11 or higher to fully function.”¹²

What about a tracker that plugs into the OBD port?

It is a self-monitored GPS tracker that plugs into the car’s diagnostic (OBD) port, under the dashboard, and takes its power from the car, so nothing has to be wired in. Takealot lists them from R445 to R1 600 once-off, and a car-accessories shop sells a mini one for R690.^7,8

“No monthly fee” means no fee for the app, not no cost. One listing says the tracking platform is free but adds “SIM Card Required - Not Included” and “SIM card costs and carrier data charges are separate from the free tracking platform”.¹³ The shop’s mini unit takes a micro SIM on the 2G network, which you supply.⁸

It is also easy to pull out, because the port is within reach of anyone in the driver’s seat. The listings offer an alert when it is unplugged, and its backup battery is small: one listing gives its tracking time on battery as “1-2 hours”, the mini unit “24–48 hours”. Like the other devices here, nobody watches it but you.^7,8

Will your insurer accept one?

We found no South African insurer that says a self-monitored tracker, an AirTag or a SmartTag counts as a tracking device for cover, and none that says it doesn’t. What the wordings do say is what a required tracker must have. Naked: “If it’s missing recovery, it won’t meet Naked’s requirements (as well as many other insurers).”⁴ Pineapple asks for stolen vehicle recovery on the vehicles it rates high risk.¹⁴

Others tie the tracker to a supplier and a subscription. Santam’s example policy requires “a legally valid contract” with the supplier of the tracking device, and monthly fees paid in full at the time of a theft.⁵ Bryte’s warrant, quoted in a 2025 High Court judgment, says a theft “must be immediately reported to the service provider / supplier of the tracking device.”¹⁵ Discovery Insure’s Precious Nduli told owners of third-party trackers to “make sure that your subscriptions are up to date”,⁶ and MiWay’s checklist includes “Active (subscription/service live)”.¹⁶ A once-off device has no supplier contract or subscription to show.

In a case published by the FAIS Ombud, the policy required “an approved tracking device with tracking and recovery functionality”.¹⁷ OUTsurance offers a different route where it asks for devices: you may “pay an additional premium for theft and hijack cover rather than installing the required devices.”¹⁸

Can an AirTag or SmartTag find a stolen car?

It can show where the tag was last seen, but it is built to be noticed. Apple says AirTag “is designed to discourage unwanted tracking”: a phone that finds an unknown AirTag travelling with it will “send you an alert”.¹⁰ An AirTag away from its owner “will emit a sound when it’s moved”, and “Devices with Android 6.0 or later can automatically notify you if an AirTag or another item tracker is moving with you.”¹⁹ So a thief carrying a phone may be told the tag is there.

The battery runs out in the end. Apple gives “more than a year” on a replaceable coin cell,¹⁰ and Samsung up to 700 days for the SmartTag2 in power-saving mode.¹² We found no 2025 or 2026 South African report of a stolen car found with a tag, and no SAPS guidance on acting on a tag’s location.

SIM cards and approved equipment

A tracker that uses a SIM card falls under RICA: “all SIM card users, operators and service providers must register each SIM card with the owner’s personal details”, as the government explained in 2010.²⁰

ICASA’s rule is that “The equipment must be type approved by ICASA before it is offered for sale”. Equipment that isn’t approved “will not be allowed for use in the country”, and “such equipment will be sealed and/or seized.”²¹ ICASA’s page doesn’t name GPS trackers, so ask the seller whether a device is type-approved before you buy it.

If your insurer requires a tracker

Read your policy schedule first. If it names a tracker, the wordings above point to a device with a recovery service, a live subscription and a contract with its supplier, kept working: MiWay’s checklist also asks for “Working (signals + battery/power health)”.¹⁶

Our deals start from R99pm for a wireless recovery unit, or R149pm for a full insurance-approved tracker. Free installation, 36-month contract.

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