Thanks for kicking this off DOHC.
How to get onto Xbox Live! (From SA)
This can be a 5-10 minute job if you get your ducks is a row early. Without an official SA Live! region there are two things you will need.
1. A foreign postal code
Pretty easy, just google for one in the country you want (eg
NW1 5LR is Madame Tussauds in the
UK)
2. A Windows Live ID for the same country
(hotmail/passport/MSN Messenger account)
Either set the country and locale of an existing account to your country of choice, or even easier just create a new one during your Xbox Live account creation (but write it down!!!)
The important difference here though is that the 360 integrates with MSN messenger, so if you want to access your existing contacts list you need to make the necessary adjustments.
which country/locale?
Personal preference here really, US accounts get a bit more content and points are cheaper, but UK content seems more relevant to SA as they're in the same "release zone" as us (ie we get games at the same time). Also SA is occasionally eligible for EU competitions.
Okay then what?
Eezy peezy, hit
join xbox live and fill in all the info as required when required, the last little twist is
only create a Live Silver Account. It should give you a free months Live gold anyway (can anyone confirm for the Arcade SKU?
/*confirmed - thx Nduimiso*/). Trying to go gold from here requests Credit Card details which will fail to verify because it'll use the postal code you just entered against your actual address which will obviously fail.
The next step to getting Live gold is to head over to one of the following:
http://www.gamepointsnow.com/
http://www.definiteplay.co.uk/
http://www.microsoftpointsxbox.com/
(I have used all 3 successfully)
to purchase a subscription and of your choice and some Microsoft points (The Live! currency).
Note: Live! subscriptions are region free (ie just buy the cheapest), but
Microsoft points are region locked so make sure to buy ones for the locale you selected earlier.
From there, jump in and enjoy. Buy Castle Crashers. Don't ask just do it