I'm still trying to figure out the best way to call Africa from the USA. I used a regular calling card today and the ratio was 8x1 meaning each minute used 8 minutes of the card with no other fees. The reception to Zim was pretty bad today whereas when the PH called me at my house a couple of weeks ago, the reception was quite good with the expected delays.

Have you guys got a preferred method for calling Africa? Any tricks of the trade?

After using a couple of calling cards I have found this one to be the best pin city

Only costs 11 cents a minute to call most of Africa and they don't charge if the call does not go through.

I call over there alot and I have been happy with this service.

Also, with calls to Africa for some reason the reception seems to be better(sometimes much better!) if calling to a cell phone rather than a land line and the akward delay seems to disapear. When I call to a cell phone in Africa the sound quality is as nearly as good as a local call to a cell phone.

Jason

If you have a broad band connection you could consider skype of other voip connection - a lot of African companies and homes now use it. You can call skype to skype anywhere in the world completely free of charge. Skype to landline has a small charge ( I think 1 or 2 US cents a minute), Skype to cellphone has a higher charge.

It's a free download from www.skype.com

To take this in a slightly different direction --how about calling home from Africa -- what phone card is the best?

JBrown: My question is about when in Africa using pincity's card :
I looked at the rate scale for Namibia to USA 48 listed at $0.54/min. are there other added fees to that or does a 10 minute call to tell my bride a mamba hasn't bitten me yet cost me just $5.40 USD? Thanks for any imfo. you can give me.

Chugach
For some reason I thought that pincity only worked for calls originating from the US. I checked the site and now see that I was incorrect. I guess that I tried a few too many calling cards and I have gotten the rules and limitations mixed up.

I am glag your question sent me back to their website. I found out that they offer text messaging also so I sent a TM while I was there.

As to your question; IF they bill like they do for US origin calls(and I would think they would) the call will only cost the stated rate, in your case $5.40 USD for a ten minute call. There are no connection fees and yor are billed by the minute, unlike others who bill in two or four minute chunks.

OK, I will stop gushing.

Jason

thank you JBrown, I think I'll give it a try by signing up and buying a prepaid $50 International card as a trial. cheaper than Sat phone rental and will suit my purpose.

Skype works great to Africa for an out going call. Obviously you need a computer with a mic. Sound quality is very good.

I am going to try the Mobal World phone, www.mobal.com on my next trip. I met a gentleman from the UK last month in the BVI's and he told me he had used it all over the world. No monthly charge.

Sprig

High-speed internet is not provided for free in hotels that carry it in Capetown. While I was hunting, we had no high-speed internet. However, after that part of the trip, I had it in hotels in Capetown. Skype-in and Skype-out worked FINE then.

Skype works fine calling all over the world (called Africa, China, etc). If you have a machine with speakers and mic, the other party will hear THEIR voice echo -- those of my friends who have endured this have complained bitterly -- to the point I've bought headphones. That has solved the problem.

Dan

I just used ID phone card http://www.idphonecard.com/ in Northern South Africa and Botswana on a regular SA cell phone and it was clear, easy to use, and worked fine.

I do not have a GSM cell phone and am on Verizon wireless here in Pa.
I contacted them and setup a rental of a GSM cell thru World Roam @ $3.99/day Namibia is a tier 1 country so calls from Namibia to Pa are $1.49/minute.
Verizon has a GSM cell coverage link on it's website and most of the area I'm going to in norethern Namibia near Etosha is indicated as strong or variable coverage.
I think I've found my answer to keeping my partners, both bride and business happy while there for just a couple $.