Vodacom Group and Research In Motion have launched the new BlackBerry Bold smartphone in South Africa, and the Curv 8310 and Pearl 8110 smartphones in Tanzania. (Watch a slideshow of BlackBerry vs. the iPhone.)

The mobile operator is offering a range of packages for BlackBerry users so that customers can afford to stay in touch with unlimited e-mail and Internet browsing, said Dot Field, chief communications officer for Vodacom Group.

"The BlackBerry Bold is a major step forward for business-grade smartphones," noted Mark Guibert, RIM's vice president of corporate marketing. "It wraps incredible speed, power and functionality together in a beautiful and confident design."

The BlackBerry Bold supports tri-band High-Speed Downlink Packet Access networks around the world and comes with integrated Wi-Fi and multimedia capabilities. It also comes with an integrated GPS through the Vodafone SatNav application, which is powered by Telmap SatNav technology.

Vodacom Tanzania is the first mobile network in the country to introduce BlackBerry smartphones to prepaid customers.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.