To find out more about Shared Messaging Bundles, please visit our Shared Messaging Bundles page.

International SMSs are charged a flat rate R1.50 per 160 characters. Click here for countries and operators that offer 8ta’s International SMS service. 

For the FAQs click here.

Product Features

• Gmail SMS Chat is FREE to use for all Gmail users and any SMS replies from cellular phones attract the standard SMS rates.
• The Gmail account holder starts with 50 SMSes and cannot exceed 50.
• For every message sent, 1 SMS is deducted. For every reply received from a cellular phone subscriber the Gmail Chat SMS sender shall receive 5 additional SMSes. The additional SMSes shall not exceed 50.
• A Google user can send SMSes to a maximum of 20 cellular phone numbers who have not responded, per week.
• An average ratio of 1 incoming SMS reply to every 5 outgoing SMSes is enforced over a period of 12 months.
• Google has measures to limit customers from creating multiple Gmail accounts to increase the FREE SMS limit.
• BLOCK and UNBLOCK and STOP keywords are available to recipients of Gmail SMS Chat to stop spam and unwanted messages.

Product Benefits

• Gmail SMS Chat is FREE from Gmail to all 8ta subscribers.
• FREE 50 SMSes are received upfront on service registration.
• FREE 5 SMSes are received on receipt of response to SMS sent.
• Gmail SMS Chat offers 8ta customers a choice to use both their cellular phones and computers simultaneously.

How much does it cost? 
Gmail SMS Chat is FREE from the Gmail account. Responses to the received Gmail SMS Chat shall be charged at R0.50c per SMS.

For the Terms & Conditions click here and for the FAQs click here.

8ta offers three BlackBerry services; BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS), BlackBerry Enterprise Server Plus (BES+) and Social & Email Plan. 

• BIS gives you access to your personal e-mail, internet browsing, social networking, BlackBerry messenger and other applications. 
• BES+ allows you to use BIS and BES, which means you’ll also have access to your work e-mail, intranet and other applications selected by your organization. 
• Social & Email Plan gives access to one web-based email account, BlackBerry email, BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), internet browsing, social networking and other applications .

BlackBerry is available to 8ta Contract, Saver and Prepaid customers. 8ta offers you a range of BlackBerry smartphones to choose from when you purchase a BlackBerry solution. Click here to view.

8ta is the first mobile network operator in South Africa to charge its customers just 50c per SMS. Customers who sign up for a per second voice contract pay 60c per SMS.

8ta rewards you for using SMS: If you send five SMSs a day you’ll receive 50 FREE SMSs to use on that day. These 50 SMSs expire on the same day at 23:59. 8ta is the only mobile network that offers this fantastic reward.

MMSs cost only 50c each with 8ta, which is the most affordable MMS service in South Africa.

You’ll need a 3G phone and the correct phone settings to be able to send and receive MMSs. Simply SMS your phone make to 081184 to receive your device settings. Follow the instructions on the received SMS to set up your phone for MMS use.

To find out more about Messaging Budles, please visit our Messaging Bundles page.

Here are just a few of 8tamail’s services: you can send and receive e-mails; use the calendar; upload pictures; create an address book; and synchronise your social networking accesses to a single log in.

8tamail is a FREE service initiated during the activation of a new 8ta number.

Dial *140* (recipient’s cellphone number) # to send an 8ta Call Me.

8ta Call Me is FREE to all 8ta customers and you can send UNLIMITED Call Me’s daily.
8ta Call Me is available to 8ta More, Prepaid, Saver and Contract customers.

Organisations, such as banks and retail stores, are able to connect to the Telkom messaging platform which allows them to send multiple SMSs, as and when required.

Pricing is available to WASPs on request. Send an e-mail to WASPAdmin@8ta.com for more information.

An example is Big Brother Africa: Viewers send an SMS to the short code advertised to vote for the winner, after which they receive a reply, also via a short code.

These organisations range from SMMEs, retails stores, banks, and so on. They are named WASPs (Wirelesss Application Service Providers). The WASPs connect to the Telkom messaging platform to enable their customers to use the short codes to send and receive SMSs.

Pricing is available to WASPs on request. Send an e-mail to WASPAdmin@8ta.com for more information.

An example: To recharge your 8ta number dial *188#.