South African phone number codes explained

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South African phone number codes explained

Phone numbers in South Africa include useful information such as the source location of a call or to which mobile network a phone number is subscribed.

South Africa’s telecoms numbers are assigned to telecoms licencees according to ICASA’s National Numbering Plan Regulations of 2016.

With the exception of short codes and machine-related numbers, like those used in point-of-sale (POS) devices, telecoms numbers in South Africa contain 10 digits.

These numbers are divided into two main categories – geographic and non-geographic.
 
Whenever i read about number plans i think back to the movie Hackers. things certainly have changed a lot since then ehy.
 
At the rate fixed lines are disappearing, ICASA should consider making those numbers available to mobile networks. ;)
 
there is a free service that we maintain if you need to find the network belonging to a number


/me hits @Thor with a wet trout

 
Isn't this all ancient knowledge?

Oddly enough, its ancient knowledge and no longer common knowledge.

Hell you used to be able to figure out roughly where someone lived by the 3 digits at the start of their phone number after the area code. Most people are totally clueless about that as well.
 
Oddly enough, its ancient knowledge and no longer common knowledge.

Hell you used to be able to figure out roughly where someone lived by the 3 digits at the start of their phone number after the area code. Most people are totally clueless about that as well.
Yeah, that was still so normal to us a few years back. I had half of Jo'burg's prefixes in my head...
 
Another useful option is to save money and time by leaving cell messages, used to have all the force-to-mailbox codes but too long since that was up to date to share.
 
That will inevitably happen at some stage, if it is not already happening.
It is happening already, sort of. Don't know about the numbers going to mobile networks, but it can definitely go to VoIP providers. I ported my Telkom number to a VoIP provider.

So considering that, very soon even these fixed line prefixes will mean nothing. I can sit anywhere in South Africa, or even anywhere in the world for that matter, and still get a call on my old 011 Telkom number.
 
So considering that, very soon even these fixed line prefixes will mean nothing. I can sit anywhere in South Africa, or even anywhere in the world for that matter, and still get a call on my old 011 Telkom number.
Nearly 30 years ago, before cellular took off, I had an imported high powered cordless phone from the Far East that used to work in my car from beyond Pretoria to my flat in Jo'burg :giggle:

When I dared to use it... and would now consider that very selfish. (I did get caught.)
 
mo
Nearly 30 years ago, before cellular took off, I had an imported high powered cordless phone from the Far East that used to work in my car from beyond Pretoria to my flat in Jo'burg :giggle:

When I dared to use it... and would now consider that very selfish. (I did get caught.)
More details?
sounds interesting
 
More details?
sounds interesting
Trying to remember... very tall antenna on my flat and car roof, think it was just under the FM radio range so about 70 MHz, somewhere around 20 to 30 Watts. Included an intercom, analogue so usually too noisy at distance, and I learnt to use a 45 degree angle to get signals over the signal-difficult Linksfield Ridge enough.

When I was caught?
It was some dept. of telecoms., they confiscated it. Turned out a security co. had complained about interference.
I convinced them to give it back then sold it, no fine.
 
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