Phones are easy to use and we all know that a phone number is composed of an area code and seven digits. Now if you’ve ever called overseas you’ll realize that the whole numbering systems falls apart. You’re completely lost as what numbers to add and what numbers of the original phone number not to dial. Here is my experience in trying to get my mom who lives in sunny South Africa to dial my cell phone in the US.
We figured out that she needed to first dialed the US country code 1 (she had to add two zeros to the beginning of it, god knows why) then she dialed my cell number. So this is what she dialed:
001 303 531 1234
Simple right! Now for me to call/SMS her cellphone (her number is 083 429 1234) I had no bloody idea what number to dial but she sent me an SMS from her cell to mine. This is what phone number came up:
+ 27 83 429 1234
So drop the zero (for cell phones 83 not 083) and add the South Africa country code 27 and the plus sign, yes the plus sign! The hardest part of the entire process may be in-fact figuring out how to get your mobile phone to spit out a plus sign on the screen. I have a Crackberry 7100 and to dial plus I simply hold down the zero key for a few seconds and up comes the elusive plus symbol on the screen. For other phones you’ll have to consult your owners manual (you know, the one you thew away or is in that box in the attic) or call up customer service. I think in place of the plus sign you can just dial 011 but I’ll have to confirm that. Why should it be that simple 🙂
So in summary to call a US cell from SA:
(001)(cell phone number with area code)
To call a South African cell phone number from a USA cellphone:
(+)(27)(cell phone number with zero removed from beginning)
Happy calling and if in doubt call your cellphone provider and ask them what codes to dial. Now go and revel in the simplicity of email and the easy of calling someone using Skype!