Rica
Products & Services
Keep your sim card connected, RICA at a Flash Merchant in 15 minutes
Since 2019, every mobile phone user has been required by the South African government to RICA their SIM cards. But what is RICA, why is it important, and how does it protect you?
The Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provisions of Communication-Related Information, or RICA for short, is the face-to-face authentication and validation of all customers when they purchase a new SIM card – regardless of which network that SIM card is linked to.
RICA allows personal information to be linked to a cell phone number and SIM card ICCID (serial number), which helps law enforcement track down people involved in illegal activity and crime conducted via mobile phones.
Unfortunately, for legal reasons, networks and Flash merchant are not permitted to sell pre-RICA registered SIM cards.
It will take no longer than 15 minutes to RICA your SIM card at any Flash trader or agent. Visit your nearest Flash merchant with these documents (please take note of dates and age of documents) to RICA today:
SA Citizen/Permanent Resident:
- ICCID (serial number) of SIM card
- Full Names and Surname
- SA ID number or passport number as it appears on: Green bar-coded ID, Temporary ID certificate (check expiry date), ID card (when applicable), SA passport (check expiry date)
Non-SA Citizen:
- ICCID (serial number) of SIM card
- Full Names and Surname and ID number as it appears on: Passport (please check expiry date), Refugee document (please check expiry date)
Issuing country as it appears on:
- Passport (please check expiry date)
Please bring in proof of your address. Flash merchants accept all of these documents:
- Residential or employment address
- Bank statement (not older than 3 months)
- Rates and/or electricity account (not older than 3 months)
- Phone account (not older than 3 months)
- TV license (current)
- Insurance policy (current)
- Lease agreement (current)
- New vehicle license agreement
- If in informal settlement: Please provide address of nearest school or community centre /church/retail store/where person normally receives their post. An affidavit is also acceptable if the above is not available.
Once you have submitted all necessary documents, your SIM card will take no longer than 24-hours to be active on your network.
Do you have an older SIM card and haven’t already completed the RICA process? Update your information at any Flash trader to make sure that your SIM card remains active. To check if your SIM card has been registered, follow these steps:
- MTN: Dial *131*4# or 083 123
- Vodacom: SMS the word RICA to 31050 or call 082 111
- Cell C: Dial *133*7422* or call 084 147
If you are unfortunately not registered, please follow the same steps as a new SIM card and our Flash merchant will gladly help you get registered.
