Cell Phone In South Africa

[rladner]

Here is the current AT&T plan that I'm leaning towards. Not the cheapest, but compared to everything else I'm spending it is nothing.

Passport 1GB
$60.00
one-time charge
Use your smartphone in over 200 countries. No need to cancel anything-ends 30 days from start date.

Talk: $0.35 per min.
Send texts: Unlimited
Get texts: Same plan you use at home.
Data: 1GB, $50 per GB if you go over.

[Jon-Paul]

Here is the current AT&T plan that I'm leaning towards. Not the cheapest, but compared to everything else I'm spending it is nothing.

Passport 1GB
$60.00
one-time charge
Use your smartphone in over 200 countries. No need to cancel anything-ends 30 days from start date.

Talk: $0.35 per min.
Send texts: Unlimited
Get texts: Same plan you use at home.
Data: 1GB, $50 per GB if you go over.

If you have ATT just add the International day pass for $10 a day. You will only be charge this is your phone accesses as cell tower in the 24 hour period. I leave this on my account that way I don't have to worry about it if I am traveling.

https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/day-pass.html

[rladner]

If you have ATT just add the International day pass for $10 a day. You will only be charge this is your phone accesses as cell tower in the 24 hour period. I leave this on my account that way I don't have to worry about it if I am traveling.

https://www.att.com/offers/internati.../day-pass.html

South Africa is not one of the countries that is listed. I think it was the first time I went in 2013, but I remember it wasn't last time in 2017. Just checked and not listed. I used this last summer in New Zealand. I like it and works great, but SA is not one of the countries . Also, on a 10 days safari the $10/day would be more than the $60/month plan

[lanceodom]

I have AT&T and add the international day pass to my line for $10 a day. I never had any issues with the services as most places (Limpopo and Johannesburg) we was at had cell signal.

Just got back Saturday and this is what I have. It worked fine. Only issue i had was we were so close to Botswanna that I think ATT thought I was in Botswanna and tried to charge me some crazy price. A simple phone call to clarify and the entire trip, full data, phone etc cost me $100.

[rladner]

Just got back Saturday and this is what I have. It worked fine. Only issue i had was we were so close to Botswanna that I think ATT thought I was in Botswanna and tried to charge me some crazy price. A simple phone call to clarify and the entire trip, full data, phone etc cost me $100.

That's true. I hunt just across the river from Botswanna and yes, my PH always tells me to check what network I'm on if I use my phone away from camp.

[Stolle]

I have AT&T and add the international day pass to my line for $10 a day. I never had any issues with the services as most places (Limpopo and Johannesburg) we was at had cell signal.

I was wondering if this plan worked. My wife mentioned that it did not and that we had to buy a separate plan that had limited amount of data.

[Justin Spies]

Here is the current AT&T plan that I'm leaning towards. Not the cheapest, but compared to everything else I'm spending it is nothing.

Passport 1GB
$60.00
one-time charge
Use your smartphone in over 200 countries. No need to cancel anything-ends 30 days from start date.

Talk: $0.35 per min.
Send texts: Unlimited
Get texts: Same plan you use at home.
Data: 1GB, $50 per GB if you go over.

I am reading online the that you can rent a phone with Vodafone coverage once you get to the airport. Im just wondering if it will get better signal than my own phone. Wouldn't ATT just pick up off of their tower?

[rladner]

I am reading online the that you can rent a phone with Vodafone coverage once you get to the airport. Im just wondering if it will get better signal than my own phone. Wouldn't ATT just pick up off of their tower?

That's what I am thinking. I'm probably just going to the $60/month plan. I don't plan to talk, unless it is really important. I'll text mainly, so it works well since it is unlimited. I can also send 1G of data when I'm not on Wifi.

[buck_wild]

I had Sprint and switched to the international plan (I dont remember the costs). I had connection 40% of the time around Thabazimbi.

[Mudslinger]

No matter how you do your cell phone service, I cannot wait to see updates and LDP's for your trip with Harry.

[The Insurance Guy]

Cell phone not working is just another reason I’ll go back to Africa

[Austin]

Can’t wait for the recap I got my crate from my hunt last September a couple of weeks ago. You will want to go back.

Keep in mind it is also a 8 hour time difference so that will impact a lot of communication.

If you have ATT just grab the $60 international plan and make sure your wife has contact info for the PH. Rest assured that there service will be more reliable than anything you have.

We did the international on our phones and never used it. I tied into the WiFi at camp which allowed for FaceTime and text as well as WhatsApp

[JBJTX81]

I went last march. I have ATT. I called ahead of time. They said use the $10/day international pass. When I got back I had a 900 phone bill. They said it was their mistake for telling me the day pass would work when RSA isn't a listed country but since the CS tech I spoke with ahead of the trip made a mistake they credited me back the international data/roaming changes less the difference in the day pass.

[S-3 Ranch]

Rent a satellite phone, my dad did for a trip up the amazon river

[Kevin]

Edit: RSA is not included with the 10/day option. You need the passport plan.

https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/international/global-countries.html#s

If I am really remote, I bring a SAT phone.