Wiirachay

I'll be traveling to South Africa and would like a SIM card that has free incoming calls and costs less than USD0.90/EUR0.70 per min. Any suggestions to which SIM card provider I should use? I live in the US and am leaving in 2 weeks.

I'm more worried about reputation of the provider. At first, I thought I had a winner but then I saw that the SIM card was from Estonia.

- Pat

backdoc

It's incredibly cheap and the I called the US a lot from safari and didn't spend $30 in two weeks.

I just went to the Johannesburg airport Vodafone shop in mid December and bought the SIM and airtime card and had the clerk load it. Took about 15 minutes total and it included data (email and web).

Steve

Cholula

Moving this to Travel Technology where it will more likely elicit a number of responses.


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Cholula
OMNI Co-Moderator

Wiirachay

Thanks, it looks like I could straight to the VodaCom shop after arrival. ^ I went to the JNB airport web site and looked under "Telephones" after seeing your post. When I went to the site before, I thought "Telephones" just referred to public phones. Now, I just need to get an unlocked quad mode GSM phone.

Roger

Buying a South African SIM on arrival is fine and simple BUT the South African government now requires registration, which can be time consuming and may be impractical on arrival. When I did it earlier this year, the retailer (Vodacom shop) required a written confirmation from my hotel that I was 'resident' there.

A more practical option could be one of the E-Kit SIMs. They are normally cheaper on e-Bay. This one may be interesting: the price of $9 includes $10 credit; calls are free to receive in SA; outgoing calls to US cost $0.49 per minute. These prices are for a +44 number, a US number is available.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ekit-USA-SIM-car...item20add40c84

I regularly use my E-Kit SIM in different countries. It works on the callback system - dial the number, wait for the system to call you back, answer and speak.

Other E-Kit SIMs are available: http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

nmenaker

I actually use a searoam card, might be a little harder to get today. But, it looks like rates are .67$ USD a minute SA to USA, .34$ to receive in SA. USA number can be setup for 4$ a month, for friends to call you. FREE incoming SMS, data as well. This card has no expiry and works worldwide, I have had pretty good experience with it.

Dubai Stu

Roger,

If I have a South African national fronting for me, do you see a problem or will it be a two second issue. My best friend's wife is a dual citizen with South Africa and has a SA passport, but most of her ID will be German.

Roger

Hello, Dubai Stu.

Here's a link from MTN with more info: http://www.mtn.co.za/MTNServices/RIC...oregister.aspx
Info from Vodacom at http://old.vodacom.co.za/rica/index.jsp
More info at http://www.hellkom.co.za/pages/rica-...gistration.php

It does look like you need to allow time or use a non-SA cellphone. I'm not sure your best friend's wife will be enough. I'd like to think registration could be done online, but apparently not. I had no SA ID book or utility bill, hence the need for written confirmation from the hotel.

Good luck!

Wiirachay

Thanks, Roger. I just ordered an eKit Call-Back SIM from eBay. It's a little confusing but definitely will be cheaper than the $2.89 Verizon quoted me. Do you know how much it costs to receive text messages and to call within South Africa? The callback SIM card isn't available for purchase on eKit.com directly.

- Pat

Dubai Stu

[QUOTE=Roger;13949766]Hello, Dubai Stu.

Here's a link from MTN with more info: http://www.mtn.co.za/MTNServices/RIC...oregister.aspx
Info from Vodacom at http://old.vodacom.co.za/rica/index.jsp
More info at http://www.hellkom.co.za/pages/rica-...gistration.php

It does look like you need to allow time or use a non-SA cellphone. I'm not sure your best friend's wife will be enough. I'd like to think registration could be done online, but apparently not. I had no SA ID book or utility bill, hence the need for written confirmation from the hotel.

Good luck![/QUOTE

I'll post my experience. One thing which I didn't make clear is that she'll be standing next to me. She owns a small flat in Nord Hoek and has a bank statement together with utility bills so I think it will fly. (She lives in Stuttgart. This is a second place). I have an eKit SIM right now in my E66 and an iPhone with unlimited international data so I might not bother.

Roger

Calls from Zone 1a including South Africa cost $0.49 per minute + $0.35 connection fee. This is more expensive than local SIMs of course, but probably worth it for the convenience.

I haven't texted with mine, but I guess from that link above that it would be 15c to send and 10c to receive. (I'd be surprised about the receive fee, given that calls are free to receive, but the website suggests fees for US/Canada texts.)That looks good, just so long as she is happy to register the SIM at her SA address - and why shouldn't she?

weekilter

If you are going to South Africa and nowhere else I'm not quite sure why you think you need an international SIM. International SIMs are more of a benefit if you are going to multiple countries and don't spend more than a week in each.

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/southafrica.html

Local SIMs from the three local operators plus the MVNO Virgin have decent in country rates.

bworrell

I'm going to South Africa next week... sounds like Vodacom is reasonable for a prepaid SIM card -- and they have a "superstore" at the airport.

Dubai Stu

Just as a followup. I bought two prepaid SIM cards at a local hypermarket in Noerdhoek (suburban Cape Town) and it happened blazingly fast. I did have my friend make the purchase and no one questioned that this was the fourth or fifth SIM card that she purchased that year. Service was fine and 3g data was available.

I'm wondering if a computer printout of your reservation would work for the airport purchase? I often find that in many countries you can often substitute quantity of paperwork for quality of the same, e.g. attach an itinerary, a reservation confirmation, a payment confirmation, and an email from the hotel confirming your late arrival.


I forwarded my junk DID to the phone and inbound calls were like 3 cents a minute. My Asterisks box is hooked to Skype and I setup a Ring2Skype connection to my Skype account with an IVR (and hidden DISA) and things worked great and cheap. As noted elsewhere, I have an iPhone with unlimited international 3g and could make most of my calls VOIP over 3g or triggering a call back from my iPhone. There were certainly places in South Africa where I wouldn't pulll my iPhone out, but I felt as if I was just as in touch as in the US.