Hi,
I am going to be mixing business and pleasure in Cape Town. I will be attending a conference and visiting schools and agencies in and around Cape Town. I know you can rect cell phones at the airport. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations?

Hello,

If you have a SIM card-ready tri-band phone, it's easier and cheaper just to buy an SA pay-as-you-go SIM card pack and put it in your phone. You can buy one at any mall -- the V&A waterfront has a number of mobile phone outlets. This is what I do when I'm in Cape Town.

Cheers,
Julian

Hi Trixie,

I agree with Jasher that a tri-band phone with a "pay as you go" sim card certainly would be the best way to go. My only problem with this is that I have seen about 50% of my visitors from the USA arrive in SA and their phone does not work over here. This is probably because they were not using tri-band phones. If this is the situation in your case then you certanly can hire a cellphone + card and number from a cellphone hire company at the Cape Town airport. You might also find that your car hire company could hire a phone to you too.

For more information about renting a cell phone or a "Pay as U go card"
you can also go to:

http://www.mtn.co.za/?pid=5933

http://www.rentafone.net/

www.cellcrentals.co.za

http://www.mobilesolutions.co.za/

Enjoy your Cape Town stay.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

Thanks so much for the info. I will look into it all.

You also need to be sure your phone is unlocked. Meaning it will take a SIM from some other carrier. In the US, companies like Cingular sell locked phones.

You can google unlock codes for most popular phones.

In case you have TMobile in the US, they will give you the unlock code after 90 days of service.