6 Feb 2016

Check your Vodacom voicemail from a land line (or Skype out)

I recently traveled abroad and switched my Vodacom number over to SMS roaming (by texting 'roamon' to 123 before I left SA). SMS roaming is a handy way to maintain some contact with South Africa without the risks of roaming charges (though it does still cost R2.75 per SMS you send). So you can receive and send SMS, but it means that when anyone phones your SA number they inevitably don't get through to you and leave a voice message, which you get notified about by SMS.

Vodacom repeatedly let me know by promotional SMS that all I needed to do was phone  +27 82 121 0000 from a land line and then follow the prompts to retrieve my voicemail. However, I found that this number does not work at all, from either a UK land line or using Skype out... Fail.

I contacted Vodacom customer care via email who were very helpful and talked me through the first option, but they also let me have another number that I could try: +27 82 14 (followed by the last 9 digits of your cell phone number). But, alas, this number didn't work from a UK land line or using Skype out either (I mention both because strangely, I had different results on Skype versus the landline?!). Fail.

I abandoned those ideas, played about a bit and discovered that there is actually a way to get your Vodacom voicemail while you are overseas (or from any phone that is not your own cellular phone).


Here's how to do it...

1. Dial your own Vodacom Number (including country code) from any phone that can make international calls ie. +27 82 XXXXXXX
2. Press 1 while your voicemail 'leave a message after the beep' greeting is playing
3. Enter your 4 digit voicemail password (1111 by default or as set by you)
4. Listen to and manage all your voicemail messages as usual

You are welcome!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

At some time past (perhaps distant in terms mobile technology)I had used a code which enable one to access a mail box, thus: +27 (0)82 131 xxx xxxx. There were other functions available such as handling faxes (receive & retransmit) before smart phones email and other messaging services became ubiquitous.

More recently I too have struggled to get it right, even using the 14, and with roaming active. So I tried using this format of +2782 xxx xxxx, using a mobile with UK SIM card. (Note use 72 if your number is 072 xxx xxxx, etc.).

However this resulted in my Vodacom phone ringing and showing an incoming call from +27 10 020 xxxx, presumably a system number for forwarding calls.

So I then followed the Customer Care advice emailed to Rich, and dialled +2782 14 82 xxx xxxx. This clearly applies when you are roaming, because this got me connected to my mailbox, and then steps 2 to 4 apply as described. I had at least set up a PIN long ago for this purpose.

Conclusion - be aware of the two scenarios:
Roaming - use the long form of +2782 14 82 xxx xxxx
Not roaming - use short form of +2782 xxx xxxx

Unknown said...

Rich, you beaut!!!

It worked like a dream. My work phone was stolen and I was awaiting urgent client messages and I could access them now.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Regards
Catherine

Anonymous said...


Access Vodacom voicemails from abroad, without roaming on.

Here's how to do it...

1. Dial your own Vodacom Number (including country code) from any phone that can make international calls ie. +27 82 XXXXXXX
2. Immediately press 1 while your voicemail 'leave a message after the beep' greeting is playing
3. Enter your 4 digit voicemail password (1111 by default or as set by you)
4. Listen to and manage all your voicemail messages as usual

Anonymous said...

What do you do if the message just says that your message box is full, goodbye? Entering the 1 does not stop it from hanging up on you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Rich for saving me from going crazy with this. Highly appreciated!