No airtime? No worried. A call me back will do.
That is how many people communicate with their friends, families and acquaintances. Call me backs are short messages from all networks whereby one can punch in the particular code, followed by the cellphone number of the person they are trying to reach.
No airtime? No worried. A call me back will do.
That is how many people communicate with their friends, families and acquaintances. Call me backs are short messages from all networks whereby one can punch in the particular code, followed by the cellphone number of the person they are trying to reach.
Each network has got a few call me backs that can be sent across networks daily. Cell C and Virgin Mobile have seven while MTN and Vodacom have five each. With Vodacom and MTN one can attach a personalised message which they can change every day, but Vodacom’s call me backs can only be personalised once a month.
This reliance on call me backs is often the result of lack of airtime. However, it is also a way to save airtime. Bonani Magobiyane a student agrees that "even when I have airtime, I send call me backs to save money, because I can send a short message, without paying a cent."
However, Wimpy employee Nomalungisa Nzuzo does not really like call me backs, because "people can write embarrassing things on their short messages that can be annoying. For example, one guy sent me a call me back [saying]‘I love you’. I was very annoyed."
Call me backs can be used to communicate about delicate situations as Sindiswa Viko a student, explained. "When I was stranded in the township one weekend, I sent two call me backs to my friends and they understood that something was wrong and they called immediately." Phumzile Bentele another employee at Wimpy agreed that he "once had a puncture and had to call for help." "I personalised my call me back "please call puncture," Bentele said.
A call me back can also be an agreement or reminder between two people about something they need to do. Zinzi Madlingozi who works at Truworths said she does not send call me backs often, but it’s her way of communicating with her cousin sister in Johannesburg, remind each other to log on to mxit.
"We use call me backs as a sign to log on." Even so, she said call me backs can be irritating and create confusion "especially if the person who has sent you one is getting lost."
They can be the only form of communication in matters of life and death. Thami Zono a street vendor explained that "my mother sent me two call me backs in the early hours of the morning and I knew then that something was wrong, when I called, my sister was being taken to hospital."
This form of communication has become very popular as it is a user friendly and is an affordable way of sending messages.
