Are you RICA ready?

SEAN BACHER outlines a few quick and easy ways to check if you are RICA compliant.
With the Regulation of Interception of Communication Act (RICA) deadline upon us – less than a week away – hundreds of thousands of South Africans are still frantically scurrying around, getting their documentation together to take to their nearest cellular provider to ensure their SIM cards don’t become worthless plastic wafers.

Many of you probably don’t even remember if you went through the RICA process a few months ago. This is especially true if you have more than one contract and perhaps a separate mobile broadband contract.

In addition, South Africans had to go through the FICA rigmarole for their bank accounts at around the same time they were getting themselves RICA-ready, so how do you know if you are RICA ready?

Thankfully there are a few quick and easy ways to check. In many cases, you don’t even have to leave your computer and stand in long queues to find out.

If you use Vodacom as your service provider, you can check via one of the following four steps:

1.            By visiting your local Vodacom store where they will be able to tell you on the spot – this is beneficial as you can then RICA yourself there and then if you’re not “legal”.
2.            You can send @vodacom111 a Tweet on Twitter
3.           By phoning 111 on a Vodacom phone or 082 111 from any other phone.
4.             Finally, the easiest way is by simply sending a free SMS with the word ‘RICA’ to 31050.

MTN subscribers can check on their RICA status by visiting the MTN website (www.mtn.co.za) and navigating to the Services menu, under which they will find the RICA option. Click on this and type in your cellular number.

MTN subscribers without access to a computer can contact the MTN RICA centre on 083 123 7422.

Cell C customers can call the Cell C contact centre on 140 from a Cell C number or 084 140 from a non-Cell C number. They can also walk into their nearest Cell C outlet to find out their status.

Virgin Mobile customers can dial *124# from their Virgin Mobile cellphones.  Thereafter, they will receive an SMS on their RICA status.

Finally we come to 8ta. Strictly speaking, 8.ta users don’t need to RICA their SIM cards, as the service provider automatically did this when they were signed up. That’s the advantage of launching a network once the RICA process was firmly under way. However, just to be sure, you can pop into your nearest 8ta store to make sure. You will find a list of stores on 8.ta’s website.

The cut-off date is 1 July, which means you have until 30 June to get yourself RICA ready.  Do yourself a favour and make sure before it is too late.

Follow Sean on Twitter on @seanbacher