Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MOBILE PHONES
MTC
(
www.mtc.com.na
)
is the largest mobile service provider in Namibia (others are Leo
and Telecom Switch), operating on the GSM 900/1800 frequency, which is compatible
with Europe and Australia but not with North America (GSM 1900) or Japan. There is
supposedly comprehensive coverage across the country, although in reality Namibia is
huge
and it's hard to get a signal outside the major towns - the more remote you are the
less likely you'll get coverage, which is why a satellite phone is an attractive proposition
if you're travelling extensively away from population areas.
MTC offers a prepaid service, which since its introduction has become the package of
choice in Namibia. After paying a one-off SIM-card fee, subscribers can buy prepaid
vouchers at most stores across Namibia.
You can easily buy a handset in any major town in Namibia, which will set you back
from N$600.
Most Namibian mobile phone numbers begin with 081, which is followed by a seven-
digit number.
PHONE CODES
When phoning Namibia from abroad, dial the international access code (usually 00, but
011 from the USA), followed by the country code 264, the area code without the leading
zero, and finally, the required number. To phone out of Namibia, dial 00 followed by the
desired country code, area code (if applicable) and the number.
When phoning long-distance within Namibia, dial the three-digit regional area code, in-
cluding the leading zero, followed by the six- or seven-digit number.
To phone some rural areas, you must dial the code and ask the exchange operator for
the desired number.
PHONECARDS
Telecom Namibia phonecards are sold at post offices to the value of N$20, N$50 and
N$100. They are also available at most shops and a number of hotels. Public telephone
boxes are available at most post offices and can also be found scattered around towns.
Time
In the summer months (October to April), Namibia is two hours ahead of GMT/UTC. If
it's noon in Southern Africa, it's 10am in London, 5am in New York, 2am in Los Angeles
and 8pm in Sydney. In the winter (April to October), Namibia turns its clocks back one
