Non-geographic number porting coming to SA in March 2022

As of 7th March 2022, 0800, 0860, 0861, 0862 and 087 numbers may be ported to a service provider of choice.

The announcement by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa that non -geographic number porting has been approved, is welcomed by the telecoms industry as well as clients who will benefit from the approved amendments.

When will non-geographic number porting be available in South Africa?

The amendment will come into effect from the 7th March 2022 , and will allow organisations to port their advertised non geographic numbers to a service provider of their choice.

What are the benefits of non-geographic number porting?

Service providers will be able to offer the organisation an improved service. Organisations can work with their service provider of choice. This also eliminates added routing and call forwarding complexities and changes.

A short history of number portability in South Africa

Mobile Number Portability

In 2006, the implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) by ICASA allowed clients to port their numbers from one Mobile Network Operator (MNO) to another. This amendment stimulated competition amongst MNO’s and compelled them to place a bigger focus on customer satisfaction strategies.

Geographic Number Portability

Mobile Number Portability was followed by Geographic Number (011,012,013 etc) porting in 2010 which allowed businesses to port to a service provider of choice. Customers could upgrade their infrastructure to VOIP as well as see significant cost reductions.

Non-Geographic Number Portability

The issue of Non Geographic number porting, which includes 080,086 and 087 numbers, typically used by corporates and contact centres, has been ongoing since 2010. Not being able to port these numbers remained a challenge for organisations who were looking to simplify their operations, improve customer experience and reduce inbound and outbound call costs.

Here’s how Itec can help you

As a licensed ISP and managed service provider, Itec is looking forward to deriving added value for our clients from the implementation of non-geographic porting. Itec provides custom and versatile Contact Centre (UC) and collaboration tools, specifically designed to enhance productivity and Customer Experience (CX).

Should you wish to consult us on how to approach non-geographic number porting, please reach out to us.

Author: Reza Joseph
ICT Product Manager at Itec