Most towns of any size have a post office, generally open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm and Saturday 8am to 11.30am (closing earlier in some places). The deceptively familiar feel of South African post offices can lull you into expecting an efficient British- or US-style service. In fact, post within the country is slow, erratic and unreliable, and money and valuables are frequently stolen en route. For important items, it makes sense to use one of the private courier services such as Federal Express, which are more expensive, but far more reliable.
Expect domestic delivery times from one city to another of about a week - longer if a rural town is involved at either end. International airmail deliveries are often quicker, especially if you're sending or receiving at Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban - the cities with direct flights to London. By surface mail, you can expect your letter or package to take anything up to six weeks to get from South Africa to London. Stamps are available at post offices and newsagents, such as the CNA chain, and postage is relatively inexpensive compared to Britain or North America. You'll find poste restante facilities at the main post office in most larger centres, and in many backpackers' hostels.
Phones
South Africa's
telephone system , operated by the state monopoly, Telkom, generally works well. Public phone booths are found in every city and town, and many more are being installed in rural areas - a tangible result of the new government's policy of taking services to the people.
Domestic phone numbers
Since 2001, all South African numbers have consisted of a ten-digit number that incorporates the area code. Wherever you are - whether inside or outside the area you are phoning - you must dial the entire number. For example, if you are in Cape Town and are phoning another number in the city you must include the 021 prefix.
There are two types of Telkom phone: coin- or card-operated. While international calls can be made from virtually any phone, it helps to have a card, as you'll be lucky to stay on the line for more than a minute or two for R15.
Cards are available at Telkom offices, post offices and newsagents, and come in R15, 20, 50, 100 and 200 denominations.
If you need to use the phone while staying at a hotel , be sure to ask what their rate is - the surcharge is often extortionate. In cities, you'll find private phone bureaus , where you can make your call on a normal phone and pay afterwards but, while it's more comfortable to sit down, these cost considerably more than a Telkom phone booth. Some of these bureaus will also send and receive faxes for you, which though expensive, may turn out cheaper than making a phone call. Many newsagents also offer fax services, advertised in their windows.
Internet access
One of the best ways to keep in touch while travelling is by email. Access in South Africa is widespread, with cybercafιs found even in relatively small centres, and most backpacker hostels have internet and email facilities. The downside is that connecting with international sites can be slow, particularly in the afternoon when Americans come on line and gobble up bandwidth.
Before leaving home, you should check whether your existing email account offers a web-based service that enables you to pick up your email from any internet terminal in the world. This is becoming increasingly common and is very useful and straightforward, though it can sometimes be a bit slow. Failing this, you can set up a free email address that can be accessed from anywhere, for example YahooMail or Hotmail - accessible through and . Once you've set up an account, you can use these sites to pick up and send mail from any internet cafι, or hotel with internet access.
