Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005)

Regulations

Purchase

(1)	The first three digits of a short code beginning with ‘1’ signify that the short code is an access code or a service code, as set out in Table 5.

(2)	An access code beginning with ‘1’ must have at least four (4) digits.

(3)	A service code beginning with ‘1’ must have at least three (3) digits.

(4)	On the day these Regulations come into force—

(a)	an access code beginning with ‘16’ and ‘19’ has status ‘released’;

(b)	an access code beginning with ’15’, and ‘17’ has status ‘protected’;

(c)	a service code beginning with ‘10’, ‘11’, ‘12’, ‘14’,‘17’ and ‘18’ has status ‘released’;

(d)	a service code beginning with ‘13’ or ‘15’ has status ‘protected’;

(e)	the service code ‘112’ is a mandated number for all emergency call services;

(f)	the service code ‘1020’ is a mandated number for a government information directory service;

(g)	the service code ‘10111’ is a harmonised number for a police emergency call service;

(h)	the service code ‘10177’ is a harmonised number for an ambulance emergency call service;

(i)	the service code ‘17737’ is a mandated number for a presidential hot line service.

(j)	the service code “116” is mandated for Child Helpline service. The Child Helpline service accessed, either by call or short messaging services, through the service code “116” shall incur no charges to the caller or sender.

[Regulation 17(4)(j) inserted by section 2(2.1) of Notice No. 245, GG43230, dated 15 April 2020]

Table 5: First and second digits of short codes beginning with '1':

Digits	Significance
10	Service codes
11
12
13
14
18
15	'Access codes (beginning with '152', '153', '154', '156', '157', '158' and '159') and service codes (beginning with '150', '151' and '155')
16	Access codes
17	Access codes (beginning with '170', '171', '172', '174', '175', '176', '178' and '179') and service codes (beginning with '173' and '177')
19	Access codes

(5)	The assignment of service codes beginning with "1" shall be made in conformance with Schedule 1 of these Regulations.

(6)	nine (9) months after the publication of these Regulations, the code “116” will be the exclusive number for Child Helpline services.

[Regulation 17(6) inserted by section 2(2.2) of Notice No. 245, GG43230, dated 15 April 2020]