I sometimes need to lookup cellphone provider coverage and seem to have to search the local cellphone companies sites to find where they hide their coverage maps. So here they are …
Last updated 16.03.2024
Tower Locations
Not sure how accurate this is but you can look in your area to see what towers are nearby.
Cell C Coverage Map
https://www.cellc.co.za/cellc/coverage-map
As you start typing in your address it will offer suggestions, select your address out of the options and you’ll see what is available in your area from the thumbs up or down.
[From homepage, at the bottom of the page under Support is Network Coverage]
Liquid Intelligent Technologies Coverage Map / Neotel
To use input an address, then check a box for the service you want to search for.
[From homepage, top right of the page, select Check Coverage]
MTN Coverage Map
https://www.mtn.co.za/home/coverage/
Type in your address, hit enter or click the Search icon, next select the correct address from the list.
[Click ‘Coverage’ in the top right-hand corner]
Poor MTN Coverage
Need to get help with your MTN coverage, you can contact MTN on 083 900 1212 (free from an MTN number) or email: coverage@mtn.co.za to assist with boosting your signal or via the web template here https://www.mtn.co.za/home/coverage/query
Rain
https://www.rain.co.za/our-network
Telkom Mobile ex 8ta Coverage Map
https://www.telkom.co.za/check-coverage
[From homepage, scroll down the page and click ‘Help’ then ‘Check Coverage’]
Vodacom Coverage Map
https://vccoverage.afrigis.co.za/#/
To use input an address, then select one of the areas it presents and then turn-on the layers to see what coverage you should be getting.
[From business homepage, at the bottom of the page under Help & Support, click Coverage map]
Poor Cellphone Signal
Do you suffer from poor cellphone signal, get hold of your provider to see if they will solve your problem by putting in a booster.
It is good to have the coverage maps, what we need is for the Vodacom’s to inform the public should they have a problem in an area, as there were a problem on the weekend and urgent calls could not go through to people in the Nelspruit area.
Have a problem with the Vodacom 3G coverage in 500 Viewstreet, Rietvalleirand, Pretoria. It seems as if the whole of Sunriseview Retirement Village is not covered. You may get HSPA for 2-3 min then the signal drops and comes up again this time it can be Edge or HSPA, or 3G, another 3 min and there it goes again. Also have same problems with Cell phone signal. Have contacted Vodacom its been 4 weeks nou and the Network guys seem to have the call, but they may justaswell be dead, youcannot get to them and they don’t get back to you. My call number is s3-tyk6z-z1t7 whatever that stands for. We are about 450 people in the village of which up to 150 use Vodacom. Vodacom coverage map excludes our Village.
Wat can we do? Leave Vodacom?
Dieter
I am thinking of switching cell phone service providers from MTN to Telkom mobile’s unlimited package for R1100 a month
Is their network coverage and signal quality as good as MTN?
From Telkom Mobile’s site
“The network offered is a full 2G / 3G network in both the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands. There is general coverage in the 6 major metropolitan areas and overlay coverage provided by MTN on an initial national roaming agreement until all sub-urban and rural areas are sufficiently covered by our own network. The network utilises the latest in global mobile telecommunications technology, thus facilitating a full IP topology and allowing for the leveraging of the world class copper and fibre infrastructure that Telkom has to offer.”
So your on MTN’s network when outside Telkom’s network.
Hi Grant, you have answered a question I’ve been slaving over for weeks… Just to make 100% sure: If I go on my country business trip to Calvinia, Wiliston and Canarvoun I will still get reception if I change over to Telkom mobile?
I took a look at those 3 locations and Telkom Mobile’s website shows 2G coverage for the 3 locations. Maybe get a prepaid sim and test on your next trip.
I’m not convinced by these maps. I want to see where the actual towers are and their capabilities. I live in an fairly affluent, central suburb and 3G is always a problem. I’ve tried Vodacom, Telkom, MTN, and Afrihost MTN. These guys have us over a barrel with their stringbean solutions, bad service, and complete lack of transparency. Please recommend technical books on cellular networks or more detailed operational info on these companies and we can share our findings to help separate hope from hype.
Hi
thank you for this information on cell phone coverage
I am researching the Heidelberg gauteng area as the are huge issues in town. (For the heidelberg business chamber) there is bad coverage, for people living on the side of the hill in Jordaanpark and the Kloof. this is a great problem for our town as it compromises the security as the Telkom land line are not reliable and constantly stolen, so want to relay on cell phone, but there is several streets in Jordaanpark thay are not covered on any net work. is there anything as a town that we can do?
Hi Nicol, you can get signal boosters, I did a quick search and found this company http://signalbooster.co.za/upto5000m.html
am surprised the cell phone operators are not doing something about this as they are all fighting to retain ownership of end-users. So you would assume they would improve network performance in due course.
Just looking at the coverage they all have 3G in Heidelberg in general which means the towers are equipped to manage that data type.
What Vodacom have started doing is smaller micro installation on peoples roofs that are not as costly and sizeable as a 30M tower. They should be contacted directly with some kind of a petition to request this and motivate to try have a micro-tower installed. ( who and how do we get this happening)
Vodacom also install boosters for companies that can prove that they have poor signal in their offices etc. and they come and install this directly but it goes through a vetting process first.
can you send us details to try get some action here
Iv tried every mobile network. Telkom, vodacom and MTN in Kwazulu Natal, Kokstad area. A place called Franklin. I bought the latest state of the art “Windows 8” laptop and cannot download anything, it kicks me out. Any suggestions out there will be GREAT.
http://signalbooster.co.za/upto5000m.html
WHy do I have no coverage From Cell C right from about Gamtoos Bridge to almost Plett along the garden route?
Hi there, I live in the new area in Pelikan Park, in Oystercatcher road. There is no signal in that area. I have been struggling with my MTN network since august 2014. Please advise.
than you
Isaacs
I live in the De Wijnlanden area of Stellenbosch, am on the Cell C network and have zero signal for 90% of the time. Not 1 bar or 2 bars, ZERO bars signal. What on earth are my options here?
I’m dissapointed in telkom/8ta network because when im at letlhabile in Brits my phone is not working. Its a total no network mode. Can Telkom do something about this please.
Have you tried your sim card in another phone?
Have you tried your sim card in another phone?
I just bought my 8t sim, the day I bought was working 5n but now says no service SOS its about 5 days now in Gugulethu (Mzoli’s meat)
I am coming from New York to visit South Africa for 2 weeks beginning late May 2015. I want to get an unprotected cell phone and use sim cards while there. Can I buy such a phone at the O R Tambo Intl terminal? Also, do you know if S.A. uses GSM signal type??
Will be mostly in Mpumalunga and Western Cape/Cape Town. It looks like Vodacom may be the best carrier for cell coverage.
Hi Jack, yes we are GSM based. By unprotected I presume you mean not network locked. Most cellphones are not network locked. Vodacom is the best bet. You can buy or rent a phone at the airport and get a prepaid SIM card. Enjoy your stay.
I am on Telkom Mobile, and the coverage is pathetic. I am often on the road for work, and I can guarantee that as soon as I leave Cape Town I will not have reception.
From Bantry Bay in Cape Town all the way to Hout Bay I never have signal. I live in Table View, and I count it as good day when I have just 2 bars of reception while at home.
Its great, I get 5Gigs of data free a month as part of my contract, but its all pretty useless when I battle to find reception.
I am definitely changing to another provider when my contract ends.
Come on Telkom!!
Hi I live around the melville suburbs and currently on cell c. I was thinking of porting to telkom mobile however am not sure about the service and coverage. I travel everyday to the vereeniging areas. Cell c network is fine and goes down at some points when travelling. My main concern is when i am on an outing to some places and cell c would barely have fone signal and no internet data at all, at the same time vodacom and mtn users would have full signal. Please advise if this is the case with telkom mobile as well.
Yes, the same here. In Coega area port elizabeth and you have to hang out of the office window to get telkom signal.
Come on telkom. You guys have the best rates yet the poorest network coverage
Hi. I live in Standerton Mpumalanga. For the last 2 month there has been no coverage in town. I was considering moving to Telkom, but if they are using MTN towers then there would be no point.
Where MTN is not currently providing coverage does Telkom roam on other networks?
Does anybody have any advice or contact detail of somebody in MTN that I can contact. I would like to cancel my current contract but I am not willing to pay any settlement charges because it is their fault that I cannot use my phone.
You can try out cell c. https://www.cellc.co.za/epic-contract-buy-out/
I’m not sure if Telkom roams on other networks if it doesn’t have MTN coverage.
As far as I’m aware ISP’s should provide ” best effort ” service at all times. If no signal or contineos weak signals are provided the ISP is in breach of its own contract and should they be informed. If no immidiate improvement is noted, you could cancell the contract with no liability on your part. The responsibility is on the ISP to ensure a reasonable ( best effort ) service. Can a legal expert perhaps provide some more clarification on this??????
@Grant, Telkom roams on other networks, especially in the more rural areas. I think they make use of CellC amongst others???
Good day.
We live on a farm and there is almost no vodacom coverage.
Does Vodacom give boosters free or do you have to buy it? How can I get hold of someone who can help me?
Louisvale, Upington nothern cape
What is the best network to use in Graaff Reinet?
Huge network problems in South Africa .
Today 27/11/2015 . – No coverage . Drop calls – Missed Calls that never registered. Can not phone out. .
I think that Network problems will just get worse over time.
We have to use landline to call our contacts. Very frustrating !!!
All cell providers nee to jack up on service !!!! Because there is no service.
I think that they are to congested , to many subscribers and the networks can not handle it.
Hi All
Does anyone know who has the best coverage in sedgefield , I have done some research and I’m leaning towards Vodakom , we stay in Charles de water street. Thanks
Can anyone help with the accuracy of cell towers locating exactly where a cellphone is at a specific time? What’s the percentage accuracy say for example of a tower correctly identifying a cellphone user at a certain time in that area?
We have absolutely no MTN coverage in house, which makes it terrible when you have to take work calls. Data coverage is even worst. How do we go about getting the transmission problems looked at?
Hi, Does anyone know which network is best for Haenertsburg. I have contacted MTN about their coverage but said that they could not install a booster on my home as it was a wooden houe. They have aid that there are plans to put in towers in Haenertsburg but that was last year and still no towers. Any suggestions from anyone around that area..
is there no telcom coverage in hoedspruit ?
thanks
jon
Does anyone have experience which provider (at least currently) is best for the area between Musina and Pontdrift (along the R572, half way). Acording to these coverage maps Cell C is best and I would like to have 3G data transfer ideally. But when I have been there in the past, I cannot remember ever having seen Cell C at all as provider. MTN was irregular but did offer 3G from time to time (eg. if I climbed a hill :-). Any recommendations? Julius
Does South Africa have a one-stop site to check and compare network coverages as in UK e.g, http://maps.ofcom.org.uk/check-coverage , instead of having to check each network provider for coverage?
I did a search for cell phone reception in Mtwalume, Kwa-zulu Natal. Every service provider says “results not found”. Now this explains why we never received a message from a troubled family member who was in the process of taking their own life. Had we received it the same evening she would have been saved, but sadly her son received the message this morning only. We are saying our goodbyes this Friday!!!!! Could the service providers please place a tower and booster in this area! Many people retire in this area and is in need of good reception. This is so very important. Please I beg you to consider. Thank you.
Can anyone help, I stay on Groenpunt correctional Services ground,that is about 10km from Deneysville Freestate on the R716. Since yesterday there is no cellphone signal for any network Vodacom, Cell c anyone?
I am wondering about cell phone coverage while visiting Cape Town for 12 days in late August. In the US I have U.S. Cellular everywhere. What is comparable to it in the Cape Town area if anything. Also is it necessary or advisable to get a different SIM Card for the trip?
Hi Ann, pretty sure you will be able to use your U.S. Cellular SIM, it will most likely roam on the Vodacom network. Just check pricing. [I tried to check but their website was down for maintenance.]
Prepaid SIM’s are easy to buy and top-up. I’d use Vodacom or MTN as they are the 2 carriers with the best networks.
My recommendation would be to use a dual SIM setup. i.e. ideally a phone that can take 2 SIM’s simultaneously so you can use Vodacom or MTN for local calls and U.S. Cellular for international. Don’t have a dual SIM phone, carry the spare and swop when necessary.
HI, anyone know what going on with Telkom network in the Dullstroom, Mpumalanga area. Not had any problems for ages, now suddenly the network has not been available since 01/04/18 and getting no response from them. MTN working fine and believe they share towers.
Hi Grant
Thanks for the informative info here. I have a Cell C LTE recently acquired, moving from Telkom LTE. The Cell C coverage maps shows LTE and LTE fixed for my address ( Parklands, Cape Town), however, I only get 0.3-0.5 Mbps speeds. Is there a problem in this area that I am not aware of?
What router do you have and what is your signal strength like?
Hi Grant. Router is Huawei B315. With the Telkom LTE, I got very good speeds. I am worried it is a signal supply issue as it seems from the link on your page that there are not many Cell C “towers” in my area?
Hi,
im in benoni and there is no fixed LTE at my place but a block away they have… who do i contact to get coverage.
You can try an external aerial to boost the signal. I can recommend the Poynting products. I don’t know anyone in your area who provides this service.
Recently moved from Johannesburg to KZN. No cell coverage at our house. Vodacom is not interested in assisting even though I have been with them for about 14 years. Why should I buy my own booster if they can’t provide coverage? Definitely going to have to cancel and move to a network who can deliver.
Vodacom has best coverage but worst customer service and pathetic accounts department. I have waited until my contract came to an end after 22 years with these clowns and am now changing to MTN. I just hope they are a bit better than vodacom.