In 1994, the South African cellular market was born and has been growing at a phenomenal rate ever since. It's now the fourth fastest growing GSM ('Global System for Mobile communication') market in the world. A large part of this growth can be attributed to the successful introduction of the pre-aid packages, which do not require subscribers to provide proof of income and undergo credit checks.

There are 3 cellular network providers in South Africa: Vodacom, MTN and Cell C. Virgin Mobile also exists as a provider but does not have its own network rather piggybacks on Cell C's network. Vodacom is the largest and reportedly offers the best coverage and quality of call. That said, there are no indications that the other networks offer a service any less equipped or reliable, so perhaps the decision on provider really comes down to cost.

All the providers offer lots of choice in pre-paid (pay as you go) and contract packages; and when I say lots, I mean LOTS! In fact, there are so many packages to choose from that it is becomes impossible to see the differences and to compare across providers. With more choice has come so much more confusion, and very often you will end up paying for a service that you don't really understand and possibly for features that you don't even really need!

So, how do you avoid a cellular meltdown? Well, the first thing is to do is narrow down the plethora of choices:

Consider whether you will actually qualify for a contract package. Many, if not most, expats, will not immediately qualify for a phone contract. Why? Well, a cellular phone contract is essentially a credit agreement, so each provider will expect an assessment of your credit worthiness. If you have no credit history, no job and no bank statements for example, you will not be considered an 'acceptable risk' and therefore, no contract will be given. Take a look at the qualifying criteria for each of the net work providers (Virgin does not offer contracts). Please note however, that there are some discrepancies in these requirements dependant upon where you apply for your contract, so always ask:

Vodacom

- Proof of gross monthly income over R3 500 (This maybe joint income)
- Proof of income: either a most recent salary slip or 3 months bank statements
- Must have one of the following: Cheque account or Transmission a/c with a Credit Card
- Identity document or passport
- Proof of physical address - Telkom bill, utility bill, rental agreement etc

MTN

- Proof of income: most recent salary slip (some outlets will require 3 months)
- Cancelled cheque or bank statement (some outlets will require 3 months)
- Identity document or passport
- Proof of physical address - Telkom bill, utility bill, rental agreement etc

Cell C

- Proof of income: Savings /Transmission Account: 3 months bank statements or 2 months bank statements and most recent payslip; Normal Current Account: 1 month bank statement and copy of most recent payslip; Or Minimum 2 Months bank Statements and a cancelled cheque to verify account holder details; Preferential Current Account: 1 month bank statement or 1 month's internet statement and cancelled cheque verifying account holder details; Or Cancelled cheque to verify account holder details and copy of linked credit card: Normal Credit Card: Most recent payslip and copy of credit card; Or 2 months bank statements and copy of credit card; Status Credit Card/Private Banking: Cancelled cheque to verify account holder details from linked account and copy of credit card; Or 1 month bank statement and copy of credit card
- Proof of address (Any account depicting an address - Postal or Residential)
- Copy of Identity document, driver's license or passport
- Minimum salary R3000.00

If you do qualify

Pre-paid or Contract? Do you have a phone, want no tie-ins and a budget driven facility, or do you need a new phone, want the lowest cost possible and are not too fussy about the contractual tie-ins? This sounds simple, but the charges for pre-paid are very different to contract - often twice the price in fact, despite you not getting the apparently "free phone" in the deal!

Which package? Once you have decided either pre-paid or contract, you need to think about how you might use your phone and when. For example: Will you: use it for short calls or for long conversations; use it more during peak times (daytime) or off-peak (weekends and evenings); send a lot of text and/or media messages; use it to surf the internet

All of these factors will help you to choose between packages, add on bundles and per-second or per minute billing. You should also think about whether you want services like caller i/d and itemised billings. If you do, then these too will add to the cost of your package.

If you are still struggling with the South African cellular market, then perhaps have a read of "How to buy a cellphone in South Africa" by Arthur Goldstuck and Steven Ambrose. Whilst, they don't claim to offer advice on the best packages and network providers, they do offer guidance that might help you make an informed decision.