Highveld heat and winter cold
Summers are hot and winter mornings on the highveld are cold. IP68 sealing keeps water and dust out, and the certificate will state the ambient range the device is approved for.
South Africa · Zone 1 / Zone 21
Explosion proof phone for South Africa: fuels, chemicals and mining
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. It is pre-launch: IECEx is in progress, and the South African Ex certificate follows it. Often searched for as an “explosion proof phone”, the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety as its protection concept.
Launching Q4 2026 · IECEx in progress · local Ex certificate to follow
Local approvalSANS ExPlanned · after IECEx
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
South Africa
SANS 60079 · IECEx
IECEx
ATEX 2014/34/EU
NEC 500 Class I Div 1IP68Zone 1 / Zone 21
Android 16
Qualcomm Snapdragon
SANS 60079 · IECExIECExATEX 2014/34/EUNEC 500 Class I Div 1IP68Zone 1 / Zone 21Android 16Qualcomm SnapdragonWhere it works · South Africa
Where it is designed to work in South Africa
South Africa's classified areas are built around synthetic fuels and chemicals, where Secunda and Sasolburg are among the largest process sites anywhere, alongside coastal refining and fuel terminals and a mining industry whose surface plants handle coal and other combustible dusts.
Operators and contractors such as Sasol, Natref and Astron Energy need an explosion proof mobile phone they can carry into classified areas at Secunda, Mpumalanga, Sasolburg, Free State and Milnerton, Cape Town. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 duty there.
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
- Exxaro and Seriti
- Coal mining in Mpumalanga and Limpopo
- Sibanye-Stillwater and Valterra Platinum
- PGM and gold mining and processing
- AECI
- Explosives and chemicals for mining and industry
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
- Saldanha Bay
- Port and bulk liquid fuel storage
- Mpumalanga coalfields
- Coal mines and coal-fired power stations
Built for local conditions
Built for South African operating conditions
South African sites mix highveld weather, with hot summers, cold winter mornings and violent storms, with the dust of coal and mineral handling and the sheer scale of the Secunda complex.
For evaluators in South Africa, the IS-04Z1 explosion proof mobile phone is designed around these points: Highveld heat and winter cold; Hydrogen-rich process streams; Coal dust and Zone 21; A full shift away from a charger; Coverage across very large sites; Control over a large fleet.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Hydrogen-rich process streams
Synthetic fuels and refining involve hydrogen-rich streams, which put some areas into gas group IIC. A marking target of Ex ib IIC covers the most demanding gas group as well as IIA and IIB.
Coal dust and Zone 21
Coal handling, conveying and preparation at mines and power stations create Zone 21 dust areas, which the design covers. Underground mining is equipment Group I and outside this device's scope.
A full shift away from a charger
Process plant and conveyor routes offer no safe area socket mid shift. The 4,000 mAh battery is sized for a working day with camera, torch and GNSS in use.
Coverage across very large sites
On sites the size of Secunda, or out on a mine's surface plant, the device falls back to plant Wi-Fi, and four constellation GNSS fixes a position between structures.
Control over a large fleet
Handsets pass between shifts and contractors. Android 16 with EMM and MDM support gives enrolment, remote lock and remote wipe, and keeps the fleet inside corporate policy.
Approvals in South Africa
Certification programme ahead of Q4 2026 launch.
South African law requires explosion protected apparatus to carry a certificate from a certification body accredited by SANAS, issued against the SANS 60079 series. That certificate builds on the IECEx report, which is in progress; the South African certificate follows.
Planned
SANS Ex
South African Ex certificate · SANAS-accredited bodyPlanned · after IECExIn progress
IECEx
International Electrotechnical CommissionZone 1 · Zone 21 · Gas · DustIn progress
ATEX
EU Directive 2014/34/EUII 2 G Ex ib IIC T4In progress
NEC 500
National Electrical CodeClass I Div 1 · North AmericaRegulatory route · South Africa
What your HSE and procurement teams will ask for.
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its electrical regulations, explosion protected apparatus used in a hazardous location in South Africa must be certified by a certification body accredited by SANAS, the South African National Accreditation System. Certification is to the SANS 60079 series, which mirrors IEC 60079, and the IECEx test report is normally the technical basis. Mines work under the Mine Health and Safety Act with equivalent requirements.
Radio equipment needs ICASA type approval before it can be sold or used. Large buyers such as Sasol and the mining houses also apply their own engineering standards and supplier vetting, including broad-based black economic empowerment scoring, so supply runs through a locally registered partner.
Use cases · South Africa
Where the IS-04Z1 explosion proof mobile phone goes to work.
Typical Zone 1 and Zone 21 duty for the IS-04Z1 explosion proof mobile phone in South Africa includes: Plant rounds at Secunda and Sasolburg; Turnarounds at Natref and Cape Town; Fuel terminals at Durban, Richards Bay and Saldanha; Surface coal handling and processing.
Synthetic fuels and chemicals01
Plant rounds at Secunda and Sasolburg
Process areas cover a vast footprint, and a query needing a photograph can cost a long walk back to a control room. A permitted handset puts the image, the reading and the call at the equipment.
Refining02
Turnarounds at Natref and Cape Town
Refinery shutdowns concentrate contractor hours into short windows across a classified process area. Supervisors clear hold points and close permits from the work front.
Terminals and marine03
Fuel terminals at Durban, Richards Bay and Saldanha
Tank farms, gantries and jetties put people where vapour is present and a loading window has to be held.
Mining04
Surface coal handling and processing
Coal preparation, conveying and stockpiles create Zone 21 dust areas at mines and power stations. Shift teams report plant condition with photographs and coordinates as they find it.
How to buy · South Africa
How to evaluate and buy in South Africa
Nothing ships before certification completes. Here that means the South African Ex certificate as well as IECEx, so plan your rollout around that date.
- 01
Send the site details and operator specification
Tell us the zone, the gas group, the temperature class and where the fleet will work, and send the operator device clause if there is one.
- 02
Take the datasheet and certificate schedule
You get the technical datasheet and a written schedule of which certifications are in progress and in what order, ready to attach to a technical bid.
- 03
Book an evaluation unit or join the pilot programme
Once certification permits release, units go to sites that have registered a requirement. A pilot with your own SIM, MDM and permit system settles what a specification comparison cannot.
- 04
Supply through a South African partner
Supply runs through a locally registered partner with supplier registrations and B-BBEE credentials, with the South African Ex certificate and ICASA type approval handled as part of delivery. Tell us your mobilisation date.
Questions · South Africa
Frequently asked questions
Asking about a site in South Africa?
Send your site, zone and gas group, and we will answer for your plant rather than in general.
Ask about South Africa →Is the IS-04Z1 approved for use in South Africa yet?
No. The device is pre-launch: IECEx certification is in progress and the South African Ex certificate follows it. Nothing should be planned into a hazardous location until the certificates exist.
Do I need a South African Ex certificate?
Yes. Explosion protected apparatus used in a hazardous location in South Africa must be certified by a SANAS-accredited certification body to the SANS 60079 series. It is in the programme, sequenced after IECEx.
Is it suitable for underground mines?
No. Underground mining is equipment Group I, a separate category from the surface industry Group II that this device targets. Surface plant classified as Zone 1 or Zone 21 is within scope.
Does the phone need ICASA approval?
Yes. It carries 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC radios, so ICASA type approval is required and forms part of the launch programme alongside the Ex certification.
Can it be used where hydrogen is present?
The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, and IIC is the gas group that includes hydrogen. The final marking will be confirmed on the certificate, and operator management of change still applies.
When will units be available, and who repairs them?
Launch is Q4 2026, with supply in South Africa following the local Ex certificate. Warranty and service run through the South African partner SAMS is appointing, and repair of certified Ex equipment must be done by a recognised facility.
What is the price of an explosion proof phone in South Africa?
No list price is published before the certificates exist. Pricing is quoted in writing against quantity and configuration through the South African partner, so it is set with the channel rather than published.
Enquiry · South Africa
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for South Africa
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for South Africa. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Enquiry · South Africa
Distribution · South Africa
Seeking partners in South Africa and southern Africa.
We are appointing a South African channel partner with supplier registrations, B-BBEE credentials and genuine service capability, ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- Regional office
- South Africa (partner)
- Languages
- English
- info@sams-mobile.com
- Registered
- United Kingdom
Find your route
Ex phone guides for South Africa
Buyers look for the IS-04Z1 in South Africa in different ways. Each guide below answers one buyer search honestly: what the term means, the route to buy, and where certification stands today.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in South AfricaGuide
IECEx Smartphone Distributor in South AfricaGuide
Explosion-Proof Cell Phone Supplier in South AfricaGuide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in South AfricaGuide
Hazardous Area Smartphone Distributor in South AfricaGuide
Industrial Cell Phone Supplier in South AfricaGuide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in South AfricaGuide
Rugged Smartphone Distributor in South AfricaGuide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PetroSAGuide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for SasolGuide
See all 104 guides for South AfricaEvery route we cover