The Tankwa Karoo is wide, dry and empty, which is why people go there, and why the phone stays quiet. Here is what phones with LastBar measured.
What phones found
When this page was written, on 26 October 2026, phones had measured 77 spots of about 0.1 km² within 40 km of the middle of the Tankwa. Every one of them had no signal, on any carrier. The box above shows the figures as they are today.
What that means for a trip
- Plan as if you will have no signal from the time you leave the tar until you come back.
- Tell someone your route and when you will be out again, and send your last messages before you leave the last town.
- Carry a satellite messenger or a personal locator beacon. Satellite SOS on phones was not offered in South Africa when we checked.
- Save the area in LastBar before you go: if anyone has measured signal on the edges, Find Signal shows you the way to it with no connection.
- Carry more water and fuel than you think you need, and a spare tyre or two.
These are what phones measured, a day old as the public map shows them. Where nobody has been with LastBar, the map has nothing: every trip fills in more.
