In what I think is a great idea, Vodacom has announced that it will be launching a service called “Airtime Advance” that allows customers to get some desperately needed airtime in advance before they recharge.

In a statement Vodacom says:

Qualifying prepaid customers will be able to request R10 worth of advance airtime from Vodacom through this service, and Vodacom will deduct the advance amount from the customer’s next recharge.

This is brilliant. I cannot count the number of times my damn phone has gone “beep beep beep” and then cut off half way through a sentence. And that sentence tends to be something like: “Please take me back! I’ve made a huge mistake…” Thankfully I can now carry on speaking for five minutes, in an attempt to win back favour, or I can say “Please take me back! I’ve made a huge mistake, I’ve just got to recharge my account and I’ll phone you back to beg some more.”

In order to take advantage of the service you’ll have to have been a Vodacom customer for a year, have been registered with Rica, and must have recharged with R29 in the last six months.

Portia Maurice, Vodacom chief officer of corporate affairs said:

We like to think of Airtime Advance as a solution that could be a life line for our customers when they have no airtime and are in desperate need of it. With Airtime Advance, we are giving our customers the ability to communicate even when they have no airtime.

I am unashamedly in favour of this service. That’s right, for a change I am not complaining about Vodacom. Hooray!

[Source : News24]