South Africa: industry on the ground
South Africa is the world's largest producer of chrome, manganese, platinum and vanadium and the third-largest coal exporter, so mining is a major source of hazardous-area work.
South Africa · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Cell Phone in South Africa
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews at the Secunda and Sasolburg complexes, the Natref and Cape Town refineries, Mossel Bay, the fuel terminals and the surface plants of South African mining. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area cell phone for South Africa, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topichazardous area
DeviceCell Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereSouth Africa
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for South Africa: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · hazardous area
Checklist: hazardous area cell phone for South Africa
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | South Africa: Secunda, Mpumalanga, Sasolburg, Free State, Milnerton, Cape Town | Classified by the site operator |
Product · South Africa
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in South Africa. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · South Africa
Where this applies in South Africa
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS South Africa market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Sasol
- Synthetic fuels and chemicals at Secunda and Sasolburg
- Natref
- The inland refinery at Sasolburg
- Astron Energy
- The Cape Town refinery and fuel distribution
- PetroSA
- The gas to liquids complex at Mossel Bay
- Transnet Pipelines
- Fuel pipelines and terminals between Durban and Gauteng
- Eskom
- Coal-fired power stations and their coal handling plants
Industrial areas and sites
- Secunda, Mpumalanga
- Synthetic fuels and chemicals complex
- Sasolburg, Free State
- Chemicals production and the Natref refinery
- Milnerton, Cape Town
- The Astron Energy refinery
- Mossel Bay, Western Cape
- Gas to liquids complex and offshore gas
- Durban
- Fuel import terminals, tank farms and the chemical cluster
- Richards Bay
- Coal export terminal and bulk liquid storage
Field notes · South Africa
More about South Africa that matters for portable equipment
South Africa: rules and approvals
The code references a family of SANS standards, including SANS 10086 on installation, inspection and maintenance of equipment in explosive atmospheres, SANS 1489 on connectors and SANS 1515 on gas measuring equipment for mines.
South Africa: rules and approvals
ICASA, based in Centurion, sets radio type approval, relying on EU test reports for spectrum, EMC and electrical safety, and a conformity label must be affixed to the equipment and the packaging.
South Africa: rules and approvals
South Africa has a National Code of Practice for Electrical Machinery in Hazardous Locations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1993, with a section on regulatory requirements for explosion-protected apparatus.
The term · hazardous area
What “hazardous area” means for a smartphone
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In South Africa. South African classified areas include synthetic fuels and chemicals, coastal refineries and fuel terminals, and the surface plants at coal and mineral operations. The operator classifies each area. Underground mining is equipment Group I and outside the scope of this device. SAMS does not classify any area.
The route · specification
Specifying a hazardous area cell phone for South Africa
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · South Africa
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area cell phone in South Africa today?
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
What does a hazardous area cell phone in South Africa cost?
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
Which hazardous areas is the IS-04Z1 designed for?
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Which sites in South Africa does this cover?
The market guide for South Africa covers Secunda, Mpumalanga, Sasolburg, Free State, Milnerton, Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Western Cape, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Which South African authority approves radios and phones?
ICASA sets radio type approval, and it is described as relying on EU test reports covering spectrum use, EMC and electrical safety, with a conformity label on the equipment and packaging. SABS and NRCS handle some electrical-safety certificates separately. Confirm the route for your device with ICASA or an agent.
What conditions affect devices at South African mines and plants?
Conditions vary from hot, dusty surface sites to deep underground workings with heat and humidity. Check ingress protection, operating temperature range and battery life, and confirm site rules on device approval and gas detection with the mine or plant operator.
How would the handset cope with highveld temperature swings?
IP68 sealing and a rugged build are aimed at hot summers, cold winter mornings and dusty conditions. The approved ambient range will be stated on the certificate, which is in progress. Check that range against the coldest morning shift at your site before ordering.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on South Africa, and on other places in South Africa.
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier in South AfricaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in South AfricaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in South AfricaSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in South AfricaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in South AfricaSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in South AfricaSame place, different guide
South Africa market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for South AfricaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · South Africa
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for South Africa
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · South Africa
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for South Africa?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.