Johannesburg - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
We use Vodaphone and pay $10/month. - Aug 2023
Go with a local provider. Easiest to get a pre-paid/pay as you go plan when you first arrive (also prepaid data that you can use with a mifi while you're waiting or internet), and then once you have all your documentation in order, any of the major carriers offers good plans - Tellkom, Vodacom. Cell C tends to offer great deals. Avoid Rain: coverage is horrible and customer service doesn't exist in my opinion. - Jun 2022
We use Vodacom for local service. We initially wanted a contract, but the documentation with the company was so painful that we ended up getting pay as you go, and it's fine. Sometimes the online payment doesn't work well (site issues), so we pay at our local grocery store to reload. It's worked out way cheaper than a contract and service is good. - Apr 2017
Get a blackberry as most plans are prepaid, but w/blackberry you can use BBM or Whatsapp and text for free locally and back in the U.S. with friends and family. - Aug 2011
Cell phones are here and okay. You can pretty much get anything you want. If you don't plan on using them a lot, then maybe go for the prepaid option. - Jul 2010
Cellphones are expensive to use here. Most people use them to SMS (text). Everyone has a cell phone. - Oct 2009
