The latest word from an industry source is that Apple’s iPhone 5 may be officially launched in South Africa in early November 2012.
However, this doesn’t mean the impatient have to wait, provided that they’re willing to pay a premium and risk not having a 3G connection.
Though the cause of the data connectivity problem is unconfirmed, users that have imported the iPhone 5 to South Africa have reported not being able to sustain a 3G connection on the Vodacom network.
According to the reports, this problem doesn’t appear to affect iPhone 5s on the MTN network.
When importing an iPhone 5 it is worth keeping in mind that Apple lists three different models of the device on its website.
South African buyers should look for the A1429 GSM model. Other models of the iPhone 5 may work in SA, but it is understood that the GSM A1429 version of the iPhone 5 is the one that will be sold in markets such as South Africa.
The table below shows prices for two companies that say they have the iPhone 5 in stock (The Notebook Company, TokTok), and one that expects stock mid-October and is taking pre-orders (iGear):
| iPhone 5 | The Notebook Company | TikTok Distribution | iGear (pre-order) |
| iPhone 5 16GB | R11,350 | R11,190 | R11,249 |
| iPhone 5 32GB | R12,345 | N/A | R12,339 |
| iPhone 5 64GB | R13,495 | R13,190 | R13,479 |
At the time of writing Tik Tok said they have 6 of the 16GB iPhone 5 in stock, and one 64GB iPhone 5.
Shop and Ship Online in South Africa also advertises that they have the iPhone 5 in stock but don’t list a price on the site.
Expansys, another online retailer operating in South Africa, is taking pre-orders of the iPhone 5 but also doesn’t list a price.
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