TELKOM SOUTH AFRICA, a detailed catalogue.

The information listed below, is taken by and large from the African Telately Association's news letters. The classification and sorting has been done by Dawie Schwartz, and full credit should be attributed to his enthusiasm and hard work in producing what is probably the most detailed variation catalogue for any country.

1. CHIP VARIATIONS

T01/GPT1	T02/GPT2	T03/ORGA	T04/TEMSA	TO5/SOLAIC	T06/GEM3 - GEM3.1(red contacts)

2. PLATE VARIATIONS

Plate variations existed from the introduction of phonecards to South Africa, but without the help of the expiry dates on the plates, they are much more difficult to identify on the earlier GPT/Temsa phonecards.

They can however be detected by looking at the length of the word 'Phonecard' and also the width of the colour coded strip on the reverse of the card which indicate the value of the phonecard. The very first phonecards did not have this strip.

Because the cut line of the cards can vary, the best way to determine the width of the value strip is to look at the distance between the edge of the strip and the word 'Phonecard'

2.1 Colour Value Strip

The following variations in the width of the colour value strip were found to be relevant:

2.2 Length of the word Phonecard on the strip

To be able to classify the plates, the following lengths were found to be relevant:

2.3 Expiry Date:

On the phonecards starting with the Intertidal Wealth Series the expiry date indicates plate variations. In a coded classification it is suggested that the following system be adopted to fit with the previous variation classification:

Month: To change the month to an alphabetical code to make it easier to read the code:

Year: That the last two digits of the year be used as code i.e.:

98 = 1998/XX and 01 = 2001/XX

Note: The code for the expiry date will replace the codes  for both the width and of the colour value strip and the length of Phonecard in the older cards. The major Telkom variations can thus be indicated in the following manner:

For the older cards: T02Nm (Chip T02, Narrow Colour value strip with medium 'Phonecard' length)

For newer cards: T05C98 ( Chip T05, March 1998)

3 CONTROL NUMBER VARIATIONS

3.1 Zero Type:

This is regarded as the most important variation of controls, and may be regarded by some collectors as a major variation.
E = Closed or European zero	B = Open or British zero	H = Hybrid (open + closed zeros)

3.2 Fonts

Due to the fact that fonts are extremely difficult to identify, a classification according to the form of the zeros, sixes and nines in the control number, where the fonts look alike.
o = Oval zero, six and nine	c = oval zero, squarish six and nine		s = Squarish zero
a = Arial font (zero with parallel lines and rounded ends)		x = Hybrid (oval and squarish)

3.3 Numerical Number

The quantity of digits in the numerical part of the control to be indicated in the code with two numbers, i.e. 09 = 9 digits in the control. Phonecards with controls just over 100 million were modified at the time due to policy uncertainties. The following re-placement of the zero in the code is recommended in such a case:
08 = Normal 8 digit number	+8 = First digit 1 left out	#9 = First digit 0 instead of 1

3.4 Type of print

This is determined by the printing head of the printer used to number the cards. Because the dots can't be distinguished between, for instance, a double 9 dot and a 21 dot print, we must rely on the heaviness of the print to distinguish between them.
S = small dot	F = normal print 5-dot	N = normal print 7/9 dot
H = Heavy print - double 9/21 dot	J = Laser or jet print	I = Impressed printing

3.5 Height of the control

The guideline here should be to collect this variation only when phonecards can be found with a difference in height of more than 1.1mm
x - extremely small x<2.0mm	s = small Medium 2.0mm -2.0mm<s<4	m = medium 3.1mm<m>4.2	h = High. h.4.2mm

4. NOTCH

The discovery that some of the 7th Africa Games phonecards had been issued without a notch, as well as the 'flowers series' we include the following codes to distinguish between cards with and without notch:

N = With Notch, O = Without Notch

CATALOGUE