Page 436 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

434 SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Communications and Media Internet
Wi-Fi access is available almost
South African telecommunications systems are among everywhere. Like mobile phone
the most advanced in the world. The partly state-owned coverage, only at remote lodges
company Telkom provides home and public phone in the national parks and reserves
(payphone) services, while the mobile companies offer will the Internet not be available.
With widespread modern tech-
competitive mobile phone and Internet data access. A variety nology, many internet cafés have
of postal options, from insured or signature on delivery closed, but there are still some
mail to courier services, is offered by post offices and in urban centres; to find the
PostNet countrywide. Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere, nearest one, consult the Yellow
and hotels and guesthouses provide their guests with Pages. Most coffee shops offer
Wi-Fi access free of charge; it is
access. Increasingly, some towns – especially where there not unusual to see people on
are universities – offer free Wi-Fi in public places. their laptops in cafés. Many
restau rants also have this facility
during the day, as do the more
Telephones
Mobile phone rental facilities upmarket hotels and guesthouses
It is possible to dial direct are found at the major airports. and most of the airports and
internationally from South Vodacom Rentals has shops shopping malls.
Africa as long as you use the at OR Tambo International,
correct dialling code. The full Cape Town International,
3-digit regional code must be King Shaka International and
dialled for every number in Port Elizabeth airports. You
South Africa, even when you can book online and collect
are calling from within the and drop your rental at any
same area. of these shops or at those in
There are public tele phone major shopping malls in
boxes in post offices, train Johannesburg, Cape Town
stations and shopping malls, and Durban. Mobiles are often
but many are being taken out of offered as part of a car-hire
service given that almost contract. It is always a good
everyone carries a mobile idea to carry a mobile phone
phone. Payphones take a range when driving, in the event of
of South African coins, and an accident or emergency.
phone cards can be bought To avoid high roaming fees Visitors at a coffee shop working on
from most post offices and on an international mobile, a laptop
convenience shops. buy a local SIM card to use in
your own phone. Note that
you can do this only if your Postal Services
Mobile Phones
handset is unlocked. SIM Post offices are open from 8am
Mobile (or cell) phone cards can be bought to 4:30pm on weekdays and
cover age is excellent almost inexpensively at any MTN, from 8am to noon on Saturdays.
everywhere except for in the Cell C or Vodacom shop. Smaller centres usually close for
remotest wilderness areas. These shops also offer Internet a lunch hour. The South African
Mobile phones can be packages for use on your Post Office (SAPO) provides
obtained in South Africa from mobile phone, as long as several ways of sending letters
private service providers on you are using a local SIM and goods: registered, cash-on-
contract or on a pay-as-you-go card; just ask them to set your delivery (COD), insured, express
tariff with pre-paid airtime. phone up for Internet access. delivery, and Speed Services for
guaranteed delivery within 24
hours in South Africa. However,
the delivery rate of letters and
parcels is somewhat erratic, and
coverage, although gradually
improving, is still patchy,
particularly in remote regions of
the country. As a result PostNet,
a private post and business
service that also acts as an
agent for DHL, is very popular.
There are more than 230 stores
in shopping malls across the
Coin- and card-operated public telephones country, and a branch locator