What Is VoIP, and Why It’s a Game-Changer for SA Businesses

Let’s face it — nobody’s mourning the death of the landline. In fact, if you’re still paying for one, we need to talk.

South African businesses are ditching the old copper lines faster than you can say “Please hold”. With Telkom phasing out its traditional network and telecom costs climbing higher than Joburg rent, more and more companies are switching to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) — and saving up to 70% in the process.

So, what exactly is VoIP? Why is everyone hopping on board? And should your business make the leap too? Let’s break it down — Yolo style.

What Is VoIP?

VoIP is just a fancy acronym for making phone calls over the internet. That’s it. No complicated wires, no dusty switchboards, no technician arriving “between 9 and 5”.

If you’ve ever made a WhatsApp voice call, you’ve technically used VoIP. But business-grade VoIP is next level — you keep your usual number, your calls sound crisp, and your whole team can answer calls from their desk phones, laptops, or even their smartphones. It’s basically a business phone system without the clunky hardware.

Instead of your voice travelling over old-school copper lines, it gets turned into data and zips across your internet connection. The result? Cheaper calls, modern features, and a system that just works — whether you’re in the office, on the road, or dodging load-shedding from your kitchen table.

Why South African Businesses Are Switching (and Saving)

Old-school phone systems are expensive. You’re paying for every line, every minute, every technician call-out — and let’s not even get started on the cost of installing or upgrading traditional PBX systems.

With VoIP, all of that changes. Because your calls go over the internet, you don’t need to rent physical lines or pay inflated per-minute call rates. Internal calls between branches are free. Long-distance and international calls are way more affordable. And you can kiss those line rental fees goodbye.

Many South African businesses are cutting their telecom bills by up to 45–68%. That’s a serious saving — and it’s just the beginning. You also skip the need for bulky on-site equipment. A cloud-hosted or software-based system means fewer headaches and way less hardware.

Work From Anywhere? No Problem

One of the biggest perks of VoIP is that it’s not tied to a desk. Your team can take calls on their laptops, mobiles, or VoIP desk phones — from the office, at home, or wherever they’ve got signal and caffeine.

Each user keeps their number, voicemail, and call settings. No need to redirect phones or leave “I’m working remotely” voicemail messages. It just works.

This kind of flexibility came in clutch during the pandemic, and it’s still proving its worth as hybrid work becomes the norm. Whether your staff are spread across Jozi, Cape Town, Durban, or chilling in Clarens, they stay connected — no matter where they are.

Even during load-shedding, many teams keep running thanks to LTE failovers and VoIP apps on mobile. If you’ve got backup internet and a charged device, your business phone line stays open. Resilient, mobile, and ready to roll.

Features That Make You Sound Like a Giant

VoIP doesn’t just replicate your old phone system — it upgrades it. Even the smallest teams get access to features that used to be reserved for big corporates.

We're talking call menus (“Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support”), voicemail-to-email so you never miss a message, call queues to keep customers engaged, and call recording for training or compliance. You can even route calls between devices so important clients always get through, no matter where your team is.

Many systems also integrate with CRMs, helpdesks, and even WhatsApp — so when a client phones in, your team can see their info before they say a word. Some VoIP setups even unify all your channels into one place, so your team isn’t bouncing between tabs just to reply to a message.

And the best part? Most of these features are included — not sold as pricey “add-ons”.

Scaling Is as Simple as Clicking ‘Add User’

Whether you’re growing, downsizing, or opening new branches, VoIP grows with you. No new cables. No waiting for installations. No drama.

Adding a new team member is as simple as creating a new profile in your dashboard. They can start making and taking calls within minutes — with their own extension, voicemail, and call routing.

And because VoIP systems are built around internet infrastructure — not old copper lines — they’re ready for whatever the future throws at us. As fibre and 5G roll out across South Africa, VoIP just gets faster, clearer, and more reliable.

Built-In Business Continuity

You already know how unpredictable things can be here — power outages, cable theft, surprise maintenance… It’s chaos out there. VoIP gives you a way to keep business running, even when the lights go out.

Calls can automatically reroute to mobile numbers. Backup LTE internet can keep your system live. And cloud hosting means your phone system isn’t sitting in a single server cupboard waiting to let you down.

If resilience is part of your business strategy (and let’s be honest — it should be), VoIP is your ally. And with built-in security features like encryption and POPIA compliance, you can breathe easy knowing your comms are safe too.

Powered by 3CX. Supported by Yolo.

Now for the fun part — why Yolo’s VoIP solution rocks.

We’ve partnered with 3CX, a global VoIP platform used by over 350,000 companies in more than 190 countries. It’s the real deal — packed with features, loved for its flexibility, and built for modern teams.

What do you get when you use 3CX through Yolo?

• Full setup, number porting, and training

• Local support and hosting options

• Web, desktop, and mobile apps

• Call flows, voicemail-to-email, call recording, CRM and WhatsApp integrations — all the good stuff

We make the whole thing easy. You won’t need an IT team to babysit it, and you won’t get a heart attack when the invoice lands.

Time to Cut the Cord?

If you’re still hanging onto a landline, you’re basically paying more for less. VoIP gives you better calls, smarter features, and a future-proof system — for less money and way more flexibility.

At Yolo, we help South African businesses like yours move fast, scale easily, and stay connected — no matter where the office (or the power) is.

Let’s chat. We’ll show you how switching to 3CX can make your calls clearer, your bills smaller, and your team happier.