Cell phones have become an integral part of our lives. We use them for phone calls, SMSs, taking, saving and sending photographs, videos and audio clips, browsing the internet, banking, using social media like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, reading and sending emails, staying up to date with the news, tools like calculator, document editor and memo pad, games, downloading, saving, sending and playing music and more. Without cell phones, out businesses, social lives and our whole worlds would not work as efficiently as they do.

Buying airtime in general

Of course, to use a cell phone for any form of communication, you require airtime. If you have a contract where you pay upfront for a certain amount of call time or pay at the end of the month for a bill you have racked up, you will not need to worry about buying airtime. However, if you, like most cell phone users, work on a pre-paid airtime system, you will have to buy and upload your own airtime and data. Airtime is relatively simple to buy as almost every major store cells it. Supermarkets like Pick n’ Pay, Checkers and Spar stock airtime, clothing chains like Edgars, Truworths and Peps do too, and all garage one stop shops including BP, Engen and Shell. You can find airtime almost anywhere, but that does not make it ultimately convenient.

If you run out of airtime late at night and need to make an emergency call, running to the closest airtime stockist will be tedious. If there was an emergency on the road and you did not have the airtime to call an ambulance, buying airtime quickly would become a life or death situation. You could prepare for any eventuality by stocking up on hundreds of rands worth of airtime, but would you take the time to do it?

Buying airtime online

Buying airtime online is definitely the most efficient, convenient and easy ways to top up your phone. It is also immediate which means that you will not have to wait around for your phone to be recharged. There are several ways of recharging including the following:

• Internet banking

Most financial service providers offer an online banking option. If you set yourself up for online banking, you could simply log onto your account and purchase airtime right there. It will be uploaded straight onto your phone so that you will not have to transfer a long code across. Major banks internet banking websites are generally very secure so you can make your transaction worry free. You can also purchase airtime for other people.

• Cell phone banking

Many financial service providers also offer cell phone banking. If you get set up for this option, you will be provided with a code which will take you to several banking options, one of which is purchasing airtime. You do not usually have to have any airtime on your phone to do this which makes it easily the most efficient and quick way to purchase airtime. Again, with this option you can purchase airtime for other people.

Why Vodacom?

Vodacom is well known as one of the top cell phone network providers in the country. They offer competitive prices, great service and many different products. You will find many website that will allow you and even instruct you on how to buy Vodacom airtime online. Websites like V Time and Airtime.co.za offer several easy steps to purchasing Vodacom airtime through the internet. Most reputable financial service providers (like First National Bank) will have the option of buying Vodacom, airtime on their websites.

Knowing how to buy airtime through the internet from a reputable cell phone network provider like Vodacom will give you peace of mind that you will always have a fully topped up cell phone to rely on.

The age of communication is upon us, and not only are we witnessing the creation of the most advanced and efficient communication technology yet, we are experiencing a burst of growth and acceleration in technology. There is no doubt that incredible, unfathomable and efficient communication tools will still be created in the next century and beyond that. We have hardly reached the peak of the growth curve of technology and it is truly very exciting to be alive in 2012.

Communication and the technology we use to do it has become the biggest part of our lives; at home, in business and in every sector of society. Without communication as we know it today huge corporations would fall, systems and structures would fall apart and we would all be lost. Due to the advent of the telephone, the computer, radio, television, fast moving transport, the internet and cell phones, the world has become a smaller place where communication between people hundreds of thousands of kilometres apart is easy, fast, clear and relatively cheap.

Our world is structured by the media, advertising and social media. There is a huge amount of information readily available to us from several different mediums. The most mobile, convenient and simple of all of these is of course the cell phone.

What does your cell phone do for you?

Many people, from children to pensioners, rely heavily on their cell phones to stay in touch with the world. Not so many years ago, all your cell phone would do for you was enable you to make phone calls and send and receive text messages. It is a small enough task compared to what they can do now, but it was revolutionary for the previous generation.

People could now leave their homes but stay connected to their friends and families! They could take a call anywhere and receive short messages without having to sit down at their computers. Today, however, cell phones are pivotal to our lives and we use them for a long list of things including but not limited to the following:

• Phone calls
• SMSs
• MMSs
• Emails
• Internet browsing
• Social media like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr etc.
• Instant messaging like Blackberry Messenger, Mxit and Whatsapp
• Taking and storing photographs, videos and audio clips
• Watching series and movies
• Downloading, storing and listening to music
• Tools like the calculator, memo pad and document editor
• Games like Solitaire, Sudoku and Poker

There is, of course, much much more that your phone could do for you, depending on which cell phone you choose and how much airtime you can afford to use.

Airtime and data

Every cell phone needs air time in order to make calls, send texts or photographs and communicate in general. You will also need data if you are planning on using social media, the internet or instant messaging.

If you have a contract, however, you may not need to buy airtime. With some contracts, you can use your phone as much as you like and you will be sent a bill at the end of the month, similar to how landline telephones work. With others, you will receive a certain amount of airtime and if you run out you will have to buy more and top it up the same way that pay as you go users do.

If you are in a situation where you have to buy your own airtime occasionally, you will understand how frustrating it can be to run out of airtime and then realise that you have to drive to a store that sells your brand of airtime, wait in a queue and then purchase it. Unless you are very organised and always remember to top up when it is necessary, this can be tedious.

Also, many stores run out of certain brands or packages of airtime. A better, more efficient way to purchase airtime is through mobile banking. This way, if you buy airtime with Capitec Bank mobile banking for example, your airtime will arrive on your phone immediately and you will be spared a trip to the shops which may be fruitless anyway.

In today’s world, having a cell phone is essential. Communication via phone calls, sms, social media like Facebook and Twitter is a big part of our everyday lives. This however, is just one of the many things that we rely on our cell phones for. We also use them to browse the internet, reply to emails, view and share photographs and videos, play and download music, take and store photographs and contact information, play games on and keep up to date on the news.

We would be lost if we could not use our cell phones as alarms, diaries, birthday calendars, calculators and memo pads. Official documents, companies and doctors offices ask for cell phone numbers as contact references and for business, a cell phone is essential. Their uses are almost infinite and most people would admit that they could not live without their cell phone.

However, in order to get a cell phone and everything that comes with it there are several costs which can be quite steep. The costs include:

• The cell phone itself

Cell phones, depending on their make and what functions they have and whether they are first or second hand, can cost anything from a few hundred to a few thousand rand.

• The sim card

You will also have to buy a sim card, which does not cost very much. In fact, most stores charge less than a rand for their sim cards. Different networks offer different packages with different prices so be sure to do your research before buying your sim card. You will also need to RICA your sim card, but this is generally free. RICA stands for Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication Related Information Act and your sim card will not be activated until it has been RICA’d.

• Data costs

In order to browse the internet, use instant messaging services like WhatsApp or Mxit, or use social media sites you will have to load data onto your phone. Some networks or phone types like Blackberry will charge you a once off fee per month for unlimited browsing and internet usage. You will sometimes have to pay extra for downloading.

• Air time

Air time can also become costly as the fee per second or minute is higher for calls during peak hours, when most call are made, or from a cell phone to a land line, or from a cell phone to another cell phone on a different network. SMSs and MMSs can also become costly.

A cell phone contract

Taking out a phone contract could help to curtail many of the above costs. There are a myriad of different cell phone contracts available through every one of the cell phone networks. If you are blacklisted, you can still get a cell phone contract. Many network service providers do allow those who are blacklisted to take out a contract, but they might ask for a deposit or for someone with a good credit history to sign as surety alongside you.

The benefits of a cell phone contract

There are a myriad of benefits to having a cell phone contract instead of going pre-paid. They include the following:

1. You will not have to pay for your phone. Generally the package will include a phone of your choice and a free upgrade every two or so years.
2. Many phone contracts offer a certain amount of internet browsing which is included in the monthly fee.
3. You will generally have some free minutes per month. You might only be able to use them at certain times of the day or week but they will help you save on the air time you actually pay for.
4. Some contracts offer a top up option where you will receive a certain amount of air time per month and be able to add to it if you run out. Other contracts will tally up your calls and send you a bill at the end of the month.

Having a cell phone contract is definitely more convenient than the pre-paid option, and the answer to the question can you get a cell phone contract if you are blacklisted is yes. It might be more difficult than if you had a good credit history, but it is not impossible.

The number of people around the world using Facebook is continually growing, as more and more people recognize the potential of the network for connecting with people and sharing information. And with more people with phones that have internet capability (and more and more people with cellphones), logging into Facebook no longer requires you to be sitting in front of a computer screen. To address the demand for mobile capabilities, Facebook developers prepared a special Facebook web address optimized and specially designed for mobile device access.

Facebook Mobile is a special Facebook service available to all Facebook users who have phones with internet capabilities.

Services offered by Facebook Mobile:

• Mobile Web: letting you surf your Facebook page on your phone just like it would appear on the normal website.
• Mobile Uploads: allowing you to send notes and photos to Facebook when you’re on the go. Let’s face it, the most exciting and interesting times of your life won’t likely happen while you’re in front of a computer screen, but you will want to share cool experiences when you have your phone on you.
• Mobile Texts: with Mobile Texts you can receive and send Facebook messages, pokes and wall posts using text messages. You can also search profiles and update your status from your phone.

To find out more about these and other services, visit the My Mobile page on Facebook.

How to install Facebook on your phone

All you need is a Facebook account and a phone with internet capabilities.

Step 1:

Sign into your Facebook account and point your internet browser to the Facebook Mobil section. You will then be shown to the mobile page where you can click on the button that says “Activate Facebook Mobile” found on the top right hand sign of the screen.

Step 2:

In the box on the left hand side you can input your cell phone number. Don’t forget to add your country code (+27 for South Africa) in place of the first ‘0’. For example, if your number is 082 1234 567, you would put +2782 1234 567. You can then choose your cellphone operator in the right hand box and click the ‘Activate’ button.

Step 3:

Facebook will send you a text with your confirmation code, which you can then type in to the box and click ‘Confirm’.

Step 4:

You are now signed up for Facebook Mobile. To update your status, you can text a message to 32665 (FBOOK) that will be displayed on Facebook. You can also receive messages on your phone when people send you a message, poke, wall post or friend request. Your Facebook profile will reflect that you have added Facebook Mobile.

Step 5:

On Facebook Mobile you can adjust your settings and decide what you want to receive on your mobile. You can also choose which messages, status updates and comments will be sent to your phone (from your group of friends) and choose whether or not you would like to be notified when you get a friend request.  You can also set a number for the maximum number of texts you can receive from Facebook in one day and decide when they will be delivered. If you don’t customize these settings, you could be checking your phone all day with new notification, which could become annoying.

Lastly, you should bookmark your Facebook page on your phone. Visit the web page specially optimized for mobile phone use at m.facebook.com on the internet browser on your phone. On this website, you can do most of the things on Facebook that you could normally do form a computer. The only difference is that the page is specially modified for simple and easy use from your phone.

South Africa has four major cellular network service providers: Vodacom, Cell C, MTN, Virgin Mobile and the newly introduced 8ta.

Telkom is the major landline phone operator in South Africa, but as more and more people use cellphones, their profits began to dwindle. In response, Telkom have introduced a new mobile network with pricing that is very competitive when compared to the other major cellular network providers. To promote the launch of the business, Telkom will offer 1 free second of airtime credited to the subscriber for each 3 seconds of calls the subscriber receives.

Benefits for 8ta subscribers

• With 8ta, calls to fixed lines cost up to 60% less than the other major providers.
• A flat rate of R2.50 per minute is charged for calls to over 100 international destinations (as is the case for MTN).
• You will be given 50 free SMSs if you send 5 SMSs in one day.

The downside of 8ta

• The charges for data with 8ta are higher than those of Cell C and Virgin Mobile at R1/MB without a bundle.
• Although Telkom plans to build 3200 more base stations across the country, there are currently only 800 stations, meaning that data and voice connectivity may not be as good as other networks which are more connected.

It is difficult to compare cellular network service providers outright as each offers a diverse range of plans and special deals which continually change from time to time. Other issues to consider are connectivity and customer service. For the purposes of this comparison, however, we will look at basic call and sms costs and compare the companies in terms of their rates. It is important to remember that different service providers do offer different benefits such a free minutes and free data, so you need to compare different plans available to see which is the best for your own unique needs.

This table summarises the prepaid plans of the various cellphone network. Contracts differ from provider to provider, so if you would rather subscribe on a contract basis it is best to contact each provider to see what they have available at that time.

Because Telkom is the major landline provider, the company is able to offer landline calls from 8ta at very cheap rates compared to other providers. Like Cell C (on this particular plan), 8ta has a flat call rate of R1, 50. MTN also has a flat rate offer, with calls to all networks at R1.75 per minute.

With so many people using smartphones and data bundles these days, this is often a major concern for consumers. 8ta offers data bundles for R250 for 1GB, compared to MTN’s R289 for 1GB. For more data, Vodacom will charge R289 for 1.2GB. Cell C data bundles are currently far cheaper, but it is not guaranteed that the low prices will remain as such.

As a consumer, competition is a good thing, so take advantage of the battle of the networks to get the best cellphone deals.

Contract Pros

• A contract is convenient and you won’t have to keep topping up your airtime.
• Call rates are often cheaper
• Depending on the contract, you sometimes have access to free minutes, SMS bundles and other benefits and value-added services such as data bundles.
• It is good to have contract in an emergency situation as you won’ face the danger of finishing your airtime.
• Your calls won’t get cut off due to insufficient airtime.
• You will get a monthly statement with itemized billing.

Contract Cons

• You are tied to a 2-year commitment and what worked for you a year ago may not be what you need now.
• You can run up a high phone pay that you will have to pay at the end of the month.
• Contract charges usually come off a debit order, so any mistakes made by the service provider can be difficult to fix.
• Someone else can spend money on your phone if it gets stolen or lost.
• You will be charged a monthly service fee.
• You will have to keep the same phone for two years and you will have to buy a new one if your phone gets lost or stolen.

Prepaid Pros

• You are not contracted to any commitments.
• You will only pay for what you use, paying as you go for your airtime.
• It is easy to register for a prepaid phone and you won’t need a proof of income and other such documents.
• You can control your call costs.
• Prepaid vouchers are readily available at a number of retailers.
• No monthly service fees.
• You can sometimes make emergency calls to certain numbers if you have no airtime.

Prepaid Cons

• You won’t be offered a free phone or other phone equipment so you will have to buy your own phone.
• You may run out of airtime when you need it and buying airtime isn’t as convenient as having an unlimited contract.

The best way to decide and compare cell phone contracts vs. prepaid is to examine your own cellphone habits. Record your cellphone usage for a few weeks so that you can get an idea of how much time and money you spend talking on the phone, how much data you use, how often you SMS, and the times of of day that you do so.

If you talk on your cellphone a lot or use it for business, it may be advisable to sign up for a contract so that your calls are cheaper and you may get some free talking minutes. If you talk on your phone during off-peak times (when free minutes apply) it can be advantageous to get a contract that includes this free talk time. If you don’t use your cellphone a lot, however, it would be better to use prepaid plan so that you don’t pay unnecessary monthly fees that you are not taking advantage of.

If you would like fancy phone, getting a contract is a good way of getting this phone for free. You can see a contract as a way to pay off the phone on a monthly basis. If you get tired of phones quickly, however, you may get tired of having the same phone for two years.

It’s also important to shop around; not all contracts are the same and you may find one better suited to your needs if you keep looking around. Visit different service provider shops and tell them about your cellphone habits so they can suggest the right plan for you.

Prepaid options

On the prepaid data option there are five different bundles to suit your usage needs, whether you’re an occasional browser or a full-on data-head. On a prepaid option, you can choose a 3GB, 12GB, or 24GB option on the H+900MHz network to accommodate low, medium and high data usage. This means that you can choose how much data you want so that you don’t have to pay extra for internet that you won’t use.

Data Bundles

• 100MB will set you back R50 (VAT included) at an implied rate of R0.50 per MB (VAT included) and is valid for 30 days.
• 250MB will cost R100 (VAT included) at an implied rate of R0.40 per MB (VAT included) and is valid for 30 days.
• 500MB will cost you R150 (VAT included) at an implied rate of R0.30 per MB (VAT included) and is valid for 30 days.
• 1.2GB goes for R250 (VAT included) at an implied rate of R0.20 per MB (VAT included) and is valid for 30 days.
• 3GB will set you back R400 (VAT included) at an implied rate of R0.13 per MB (VAT included) and is valid for 30 days.

To purchase one of these Smartdata bundles on a cellphone with WAP, ensure that you have enough airtime to make the purchase, then dial *147#, choose the second option and follow the voice prompts.

If you have a Cell C Speed Stick, choose “services”, then enter *147#, choose the second option and follow the voice prompts. If your device has a new user setup, simply select the “account” tab and follow the instructions.

Contract options

Cell C USB Modems and Smartdata Bundles are also available in monthly payment options over a period of 12 months. If you choose to pay for your internet usage on contract terms, there are also a number of options to suit your internet usage and budget. All come with H+900 capabilities.

Cell C one year contracts

• A 3GB USB Modem (valid for 12 months) includes 3GB to use within 12 months with no monthly caps. If you want this option on prepaid terms you will have to pay a once-off fee of R749.
• You can also choose a 12GB option powered by a USB modem. This gives you 1GB per month over 12 months. The USB hardware has a capability of up to 7.2Mbps. On prepaid, this will cost you R1999 on a once off payment.
• If you want 2GB of internet usage per month, you can buy a USB modem allowing for 24GB of data over 12 months. The USB stick has a 21.6Mbps capability. This package can be bought for prepaid usage for a once-off payment of R2999.

Cell C two year contracts

• Over 24 months, you can get a contract allowing for 500MB of data per month (12GB in total). A USB Speed Stick is included.
• For R199 over 24 months you can get 1GB of data per month with a 24GB data package that includes a Wi-Fi router and USB Speed Stick.
• You can get 2GB of data per month with a 48GB data package that includes a Wi-Fi router and USB Speed Stick for R299 per month.
• For R599 over 24 months you can get 5GB per month with a Wi-Fi Router (allowing you to share your data).

With all these internet options available, being connected with Cell C just got easier. You can choose from a variety of plans that best suit your lifestyle and your budget.

Where can I buy prepaid airtime online?

Forty percent of South African credit card users are on prepaid airtime.  And there are over 40 million South African cellphone users, creating a viable market for online airtime solutions.

• PhoneFuel allows South African cellphone users to buy prepaid MTN, Vodacom and Cell C airtime online. This convenient service allows you to buy airtime 365 days a year, 24 hours per day. All you need is a credit card or internet banking, as PhoneFuel accept Visa and MasterCard as well as EFT payments.  To get started, create a free account on the PhoneFuel website and you can start buying.

• With Prepaid24, you can recharge your airtime or 3G data. To recharge online, make prepaid24 a beneficiary on your internet banking using your cellphone number, adding V if you are on Vodacom, C if you are on Cell C, M if you are on MTN. You can then make an EFT payment of between R50 and R1000 for most major banks (Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank, FNB, Capitec, and Investec). Your recharge pin will be sent to you SIM card after about 25 minutes.

• At http://www.payasyougo.co.za/ you can pay for airtime with your debit (available for MTN or Vodacom) or credit card. Any airtime purchases over R60 are discounted.

• V time is dedicated exclusively to Vodacom top up (http://www.vtime.co.za/). Here you can use internet banking and EFT to pay for data bundles and airtime. The options are: airtime direct allowing you have airtime sent directly to your SIM (AIR); data direct for sending pinless data bundles directly to your 3G modem SIM (SDAT); and bulk service that sends a bulk recharge for your business (ADAT).  To pay for your chosen top up option, create Vtime as an internet banking beneficiary, using your cell number and chosen top up option as a reference. You can then complete the EFT payment to your own bank. Airtime amounts range from R55 to R100 and specific data bundles can be bought from R99 to R3620 (the minimum for FNB transactions is R110). You will then receive the recharge to your cellphone SIM or 3G modem SIM within 10 minutes.

Where can I buy electricity online?

• Prepaid24 also offer a service to recharge your prepaid electricity meter.  Without having to leave your office or home, you can use EFT to safely and cost-effectively pay for an electricity top-up. All you need to do is register on the website by providing your cellphone and prepaid meter number (no personal details).  Take down the relevant details of your bank and create a beneficiary on your internet banking page using Prepaid24 bank details, using your cellphone number as a reference. You can then make a payment to this account amounting to how much electricity you would like to buy (the minimum amount is R200). The pin number to recharge your meter will be sent to your cellphone number, usually in less than 10 minutes.

• You can also register at IPay Online (https://www.ipay.co.za/iPayConsumer/) to pay for prepaid electricity online with your credit card.

What are the advantages if you buy airtime and electricity online?

• You can often do an EFT so you don’t need to entrust your credit card details online.
• You don’t always have to pay service fees for transactions.
• You don’t have to be at risk by drawing large sums of money from the bank or ATM.
• You don’t have to leave the convenience of your home or office environment.
• You can buy airtime as well as SMS or data bundles.
• Transactions are secure and safe.

MTN’s Blackberry Service is included as part of the majority of their contract offerings  and therefore connecting to the world is quick and simple. Blackberry Internet Service  is the tool that you need in order to connect, and this allows you the opportunity to not only connect to Blackberry messaging, but also the internet and applications. Blackberries have revolutionised the world and have allowed people to connect on a whole new level. In South Africa alone, the increasing demand for Blackberry devises is evidence of the way in which people have hopped on the communication highway and feel the need to always be connected.

This has helped greatly in business as no longer are people tied to their desks because of their PC’s and no longer do they have to lug their laptops around with them. Instead, they can have multiple email accounts linked to their Blackberry devise which allows them the freedom to work from home, or from anywhere for that being.

MTN has a variety of packages for you to chose from when it comes  to Blackberry devises. Firstly, you can chose a pay as you go package and it really is simple. All you have to do is take a look at the different Blackberry devises on offer and see which one suits you best. You can chose from the Blackberry Curve 8520, Bold 9000, and Bold 9700. From there, all you have to do is visit your nearest MTN store with your PayAsYouGo Sim card and purchase the phone. In order to join the revolution and start connecting, you will have to pay R59 a month for unlimited Internet and email with Blackberry Internet Service.

In order to set up your Blackberry Internet Service, you will have to dial*141*11#. This will allow you the opportunity to have access to unlimited internet which will allow you to connect even further by letting you access your social networking accounts as well as up to 10 email accounts. Should you wish to connect to your corporate email account, calendar, and contacts, you will have to pay R139 instead of the R59 per month.  In order to set up your Blackberry, you will have to dial 1555 and select option 3 for help with setting up your Blackberry.

If you can afford a contract, then there a number of options available with MTN. You can choose between the cheapest option being that of a MTN Anytime 50  or the most expensive being that of a MTN off-peak 200. As with pay as you go, you will have to set up your devise in the same way. However, you will not have to pay a separate amount for Blackberry Internet and Email Services. Instead, this amount will form part of your contract which makes the whole process of staying connected that much easier.

If instant messaging and email accounts aren’t enough for you, then you will also be opening yourself up to a world of applications that you can download for your Blackberry. The most popular application is that of What’sApp which allows Blackberry users the opportunity to stay connected to other smartphone users that do not have a Blackberry, at no cost. All you have to pay for is the Internet usage but that is minimal.

Let’s take a look at some of the affordable Cell C Blackberry specials and deals on offer at Makro. Currently, Cell C have a Blackberry 9300 for only R3429,00, and a Cell C Blackberry 8520 for R1749,00. Unfortunately for Woolworths and Edgars specials, you will have to visit the stores cellular department to see what they have on offer in terms of specials or deals on Blackberry cellular phones.

Now if you are not in the know and are wondering what is so special about Blackberry’s, well it is simple, their instant messaging. Blackberry messenger has revolutionised the way in which people communicate. If you own a Blackberry and your service provider supports Blackberry messenger, then you can BBM other Blackberry messenger subscribers for free, anytime of the day or night. The only thing that you will be paying for are your service providers data bundle services. If your service provider does not offer the Blackberry messenger service, then have no fear as you can download an application to your Blackberry devise called Whats App that allows you to message people on i-Phones and other Blackberry’s for free. Again, all you are paying for is the data bundle that is required to run the application.

As a Cell C subscriber however, they support the Blackberry messenger service so you can BBM to your hearts content when you either get a Cell C prepaid Blackberry devise or a Cell C Blackberry contract. The only thing that puts a lot of people off is that Blackberry’s are quite expensive phones so if you do not have a contract which you pay for monthly that includes the payment of the phone in the deal, then you could end up spending a few thousand rands purchasing the devise. However the rewards that you receive in terms of internet accessibility and instant messaging are great. Blackberry’s have spread like wildfire in South Africa and they are the most in demand kind of cellular phone in the country, and around the world. So if you are a trendsetter or fashionista, you will not be caught dead without your Blackberry.

At current, Cell C has a few great specials on Blackberry contracts, as well as a variety of Blackberry devises for you to choose from. There is the most basic model being that of the Blackberry 8520 or the most advanced version being that of the Blackberry Torch. The great thing about Cell C is that there really is a package to suit everyone’s budget. Their cheapest contract at the moment is the Blackberry Casual Chat 100 that includes the following:

For R169 pm you get a BlackBerry 8520 Curve handset  (on a 24-month contract), 100 off-peak minutes, and the choice between the default option of 100% discounted BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) or 50% discounted BIS and BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BES). This really is a great deal for those of you who do not want your kids to spend a fortune every month smsing their friends as has been the case in a lot of households across South Africa.