Communication Planning

[JimP]

I was a diehard flip phone user and didn't plan on giving them up. That is until I started going through batteries and couldn't keep one charged for a full day with very little use. That and everyone around me now wants to text me instead of just calling and they want a response back and they will never answer their phone. And while you can text on the flip phone it is a pain in the hemorrhoids to do it. So I upgraded 4 or 5 years ago to a smart phone, and plan to take it to Africa next year to keep everyone updated along with using it as a alarm clock.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I recently switched to T-Mobile, two phones, unlimited data, senior plan 70 bucks a month with free data and text in South AFrica. Voice calls are a quarter a minute. In camp, I use wi-fi or whatsapp for phone calls. Agree with others, if in the boonies, sat phone rental.

 

[wesheltonj]

iPhone is the way to go. I’ve been T-Mobile customer for years, starting when they were Voicestream. At the time the only GSM carrier in the USA, now thats not important anymore. But with T-Mobile you don’t have to buy an International plan, free texts, .25 a minutes from 125 countries and free slow internet (check your mail speed), free WiFi calling to the USA. You can purchase high speed internet if you need it. The only problem is spotty USA service, international service is better then USA service.

 

[ArmyAV8tor]

Thanks everybody for the advice/opinions. Randy F......I have a small hand crank generator that i carry to recharge it when necessary which isn't very often. Sometimes I can go two or three days without a charge. Shows how little I actually use the thing! I'm not totally technology adverse but I do remember the navigation system on my last helicopter ride was not GPS but HHM. Hand Help Map!

 

[VertigoBE]

Get an iPhone, install WhatsApp (and Signal, which is what I use as well, because more secure) and upon arrival in Africa, between connecting flights, go to the store in the airport and get a 25€ second sim. Have them install it for you and in 5min time you have no more worries.

 

[Edge]

Heads up, don’t count on AT&T international plan working in Harare! I had no problems in Bulawayo in 2018 with AT&T.

It’s an odd feeling to walk out of the airport with a mass of people all looking at you and the car transfer service doesn’t hadn’t shown up and you don’t have service to call anyone to find out what the heck is going on!

I don’t remember a booth selling SIM cards but wasn’t looking either, maybe I’ll rent a Sat phone for next year’s Safari.

 

[VertigoBE]

Heads up, don’t count on AT&T international plan working in Harare! I had no problems in Bulawayo in 2018 with AT&T.

It’s an odd feeling to walk out of the airport with a mass of people all looking at you and the car transfer service doesn’t hadn’t shown up and you don’t have service to call anyone to find out what the heck is going on!

I don’t remember a booth selling SIM cards but wasn’t looking either, maybe I’ll rent a Sat phone for next year’s Safari.

Just go into any phone company store in the airport. Every decent airport is bound to have them. In Johannesburg there is a Vodacom on the second floor if I’m not mistaken.

Just found on a travellers forum that there should be an Econet kiosk in Harare airport where you can get a non-subscription pre-paid SIM card

 

[Troubleshooter]

Just go into any phone company store in the airport. Every decent airport is bound to have them.

That works if the store is open. We arrived at ORT on a Saturday evening and there were no stores open at all, so no chance of purchasing a sim card.

For the OP: The Verizon international plan is relatively inexpensive and works fine; just remember to dial the country code before the phone number. As regards the "Whatsapp" my nephew downloaded it to his smart phone and found it unnecessary. The only time that he used it was to transfer photos from the PH's smart phone camera to his smart phone, so that he could transfer to his laptop and then onto a thumb-drive for his 20th Century uncle. So there is really no reason to burden yourself with a high-cost phone and data plan if you prefer your flip-phone.