Remember area code

ADSL South Africa (Broadband South Africa), 14 January 2007

Phone users in South Africa, pretty much all of us, will have to remember that the deadline to switch over to Telkom’s new 10-digit dialling system is midnight January 16.

Nothing to worry about though because all you need to do is to remember to dial the 3-digit area code (012, 021, et cetera) as well as the 7-digit phone number (in terms of local numbers). Even if you forget to dial the area code after January 16 you will receive ample warning until March 16 this year. Even after that they won’t send SWAT out to your place but you will get the "number unavailable" tone. Its best however to start practising now…

Even if you’re staying in the same area, you will have to dial the area code first. For instance, whether your granny stays in the same area as you or not, even she will have to dial the area code preceding the number in order to invite you for milk and cookies. If you’re staying in Pretoria and your number is 5** ***9 she will have to dial 012 5** ***9 and not just 5** ***9 like before.

In short, the area code has to precede the number when you make a phone call from midnight January 16.

ADSL South Africa(Broadband South Africa) is sure many South Africans will still be tempted to dial only the 7-digit number because we know most habits tend to die a slow death, especially the old ones.