[austerville]

You can purchase a startup package (SIM and some included minutes) at either of the airports. Refill minutes are easily purchased at most stores and gas stations so there's no problem with that. I haven't travelled internationally with my TP2 yet, but from what I understand there's no need to SIM unlock the phone if you use it outside of the US. The 3 major carriers in SA are Vodacom, MTN and Cell C. Check out their websites for more info. to help you choose which one works better for your needs (their coverage is pretty much the same so it's really their pricing that's different).