Othos Telecom Review
Othos Telecom is a Cape Town cloud PBX provider that hosts its phone system on Amazon Web Services and publishes three plans from R149 a month with no hardware and no contract. It suits SMEs of up to 20 users that want visible plan pricing, recording and IVR on every tier and a free trial. The trade-off is that plans are user-capped, apps and API access are gated by tier, and the uptime claim has no contractual commitment behind it.
Is Othos Telecom worth shortlisting?
Yes for a South African SME that wants a cloud phone system with plan pricing it can see, no hardware and no contract. Othos publishes three plans: Starter at R149 a month for up to 3 users, SMB at R399 for up to 10 and Enterprise at R649 for up to 20, with calls from R0.29 a minute to landlines and R0.39 to mobiles, per second, and a free trial. The phone system runs on Amazon Web Services under an ICASA licence, and the Cape Town Google listing is a perfect 5.0 across 45 reviews. The trade-off is that the plans are capped by user count and gate mobile apps, desktop apps and API access to the higher tiers, the VAT basis is not stated, and there is no contractual uptime commitment behind the four-year track record.
- HQ20 Cumberland Rd, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town · +27 21 673 6801
- PlansStarter R149 a month (3 users), SMB R399 (10 users), Enterprise R649 (20 users); 20% off on a yearly plan; no setup fee
- Call ratesFrom R0.29 a minute to landlines and R0.39 to mobiles, billed per second
- PlatformCloud PBX on Amazon Web Services, ICASA-licensed, with a public status page and a free trial
A Cape Town cloud PBX with published plans, a hyperscaler stack and the cleanest public review record in this batch.
Othos runs its phone system on Amazon Web Services, publishes a three-tier plan structure priced per plan rather than per seat, and asks for no hardware purchase and no fixed contract. Every plan carries the core PBX feature set of recording, IVR, ring groups, queues, time conditions and voicemail-to-email, with a web portal and operator panel; mobile apps arrive on the SMB plan and desktop apps and API access on Enterprise. Reference customers named on the site include RocoMamas, Hello Peter and the Steenberg Group from a stated base of more than 400 businesses.
What keeps a strong page at 7.4 rather than higher is precision. The plans are user-capped, so the R149 headline is not what a 12-person office pays. No VAT basis is stated. The four-year 100% uptime claim is marketing, with no published SLA or service credits behind it. And the review evidence, while flawless, is 45 reviews on one platform, with HelloPeter empty.
Is Othos Telecom likely to suit you?
Tick what applies to your business.
Pros and watch-outs
What Othos does well, and where to push back at quote stage.
- Three published plans, per plan rather than per seat: Starter R149 a month for up to 3 users, SMB R399 for up to 10, Enterprise R649 for up to 20, with 20% off on a yearly term and no setup fee.
- Published call rates from R0.29 a minute to landlines and R0.39 to mobiles, billed per second.
- The core PBX feature set on every plan: call recording, IVR, ring groups, queues, time conditions, voicemail-to-email and remote extensions, with a web portal and operator panel.
- Hosted on Amazon Web Services under an ICASA licence, with a public status page, a free trial and setup within a working day.
- A perfect 5.0-star Google listing across 45 reviews, owner-responsive, with the same staff named repeatedly in the reviews.
- Plans are capped by user count, and mobile apps, desktop apps and API access are gated to the SMB and Enterprise tiers; map your headcount and feature needs before comparing on the R149 headline.
- The pricing page does not state whether plan prices include VAT.
- The four-year 100% uptime claim has no published SLA, measurement method or service credits behind it.
- Review evidence sits on one platform at 45 reviews; HelloPeter shows no reviews in the last twelve months.
Score breakdown
Five categories that decide whether Othos earns a slot on your shortlist. The headline is the weighted sum, so you can check the arithmetic.
Three published plans at R149, R399 and R649 a month, per-second call rates from R0.29 a minute, no setup fee, no hardware and no contract, with 20% off yearly. Held back because the plans are user-capped and no VAT basis is stated.
Full PBX scope on every plan with a web portal and operator panel; mobile apps, desktop apps and API access rise by tier, and Teams integration is on request. Number Spinner, voice messaging, a status page and a reseller programme sit alongside.
5.0 across 45 Google reviews on the Paarden Eiland listing, on a claimed and owner-responsive profile. Held back on volume and because it is a single platform.
A fully managed AWS cluster, an ICASA licence, a live status page and a four-year uptime track record. Held back because no contractual uptime commitment or service credits are published.
Setup within a working day, a published support line and email, and reviews that single out the support team by name. Held back because no support hours or response commitment is published.
Pricing: three published plans, usage and porting confirmed at quote
Everything below is published on the Othos cloud PBX pricing page, re-read on 4 September 2026. Plans are priced per plan with a user cap, not per seat. The VAT basis is not stated, so confirm it on the quote.
| Plan or line | Published rate | What to check | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | R149 a month, up to 3 users | Whether call recording and IVR are on-demand add-ons at this tier | Published |
| SMB | R399 a month, up to 10 users | Mobile apps are included from this tier; confirm how many | Published |
| Enterprise | R649 a month, up to 20 users | Desktop apps and API access are on this tier only | Published |
| Yearly option | 20% off the monthly price | Whether the discount applies to the plan fee only | Published |
| Call rates | From R0.29 a minute to landlines, R0.39 to mobiles | The itemised tariff sheet, including international destinations; billing is per second | Published |
| Setup and hardware | No setup fee, no hardware purchase | Whether handsets are supplied, rented or bring-your-own | Published |
| Number porting | Quote | Lead time and any per-number admin fee | Confirm at quote |
| VAT | Not stated | Whether the plan prices include VAT | Confirm at quote |
What real customers say
The three most recent reviews on the Othos Telecom Google listing in Paarden Eiland, quoted as written. The listing holds 5.0 stars across 45 reviews and the owner replies to feedback; HelloPeter shows no reviews in the last twelve months, so Google is the only public signal.
“Outstanding Service from Eric Kietzmann and the Othos Telecom Team. Eric Kietzmann and his amazing team at Othos Telecom have been incredible to”
“Eric and Team at Othos are the most customer centric company around. The extra steps taken to educate the team was amazing”
“I run a fairly large operation and can honestly say these guys are the best in the business as far as I’m concerned… and I’ve been through quite a few providers.”
How to read this: all three name the same account manager and praise training and responsiveness, and one is a larger operation that has tried several providers. A perfect score on a small single-platform sample is strong but not conclusive; take the free trial and ask for two customers in your size band.
The Othos product line
A focused cloud telephony line with the PBX basics on every plan and the extras rising by tier.
Core features on every plan
Call recording, IVR auto-attendant, ring groups, queues, time conditions, voicemail-to-email and remote extensions, managed through a web portal and operator panel. On Starter, recording and IVR are listed as on-demand options.
Mobile on SMB, desktop and API on Enterprise
The Othos app for Android and iOS puts a business extension on a personal device from the SMB plan upward; desktop apps and API access are Enterprise-only. Microsoft Teams integration is available on request.
HD voice, per-second billing
Local and international numbers, number porting, itemised billing and published per-minute rates from R0.29 a minute.
Outbound tools
Number Spinner rotates outbound caller ID for higher answer rates; AVM is automated voice messaging for broadcast campaigns. Both suit outbound-heavy teams.
AWS, ICASA licence, status page
The system runs on a fully managed Amazon Web Services cluster under an ICASA licence, with a public status page and a four-year uptime track record cited on the site.
CCTV and resellers
A CCTV line alongside voice, and a reseller programme for partners distributing the service.
Choose Othos if
- You are an SME of up to 20 users whose headcount maps cleanly to one of the three plans.
- You want published plan pricing, no hardware purchase and no fixed term.
- Hosting on a hyperscaler, an ICASA licence and a public status page carry weight in your reliability picture.
- You are remote-first and want a mobile-app extension on staff’s own phones as the primary delivery.
Consider another if
- You need a contractual uptime commitment with service credits, which Othos does not publish.
- You are a one-person business: per-plan pricing means the R149 Starter costs more than a per-extension provider would charge a single user.
- You need fibre or wireless from the same supplier; Othos does not sell connectivity.
- Your procurement needs review evidence across more than one platform.
Alternatives to compare
Three providers worth quoting alongside Othos, each stress-testing a different decision driver.
Saicom Voice
A Tier 1 voice operator with named direct interconnects and reviews across several platforms. Compare where carrier interconnects and a broader review footprint matter.
Switch Telecom
Hosted Switchboard from R260 for ten extensions with Teams calling published. The Teams-led alternative when Microsoft 365 is the anchor.
Euphoria Telecom
Prepaid per-second billing from R65 an extension with CRM integration. Compare if you are a very small team or want to pay per seat rather than per plan.
Peers scored on the same rubric sit side by side on Compare phone systems.
South African essentials
Four local signals to verify before signing.
Othos states that it is ICASA-licensed. Verify the operating entity and licence references at register.icasa.org.za if procurement needs them.
Porting is part of the service; lead time depends on the donor carrier. Confirm the timeline and any per-number admin fee before you cancel the old line.
A published support line and email, setup within a working day, and reviews that name the support team. No support hours or response commitment is published; ask for them.
Month-to-month with no hardware purchase and no setup fee, or a yearly term at 20% off. Confirm the VAT basis of the plan price and pull the SLA wording behind the uptime claim before signing.
How this score was built
Scores are editorial guides, not guarantees. Othos Telecom’s 7.4 is the weighted sum of the five dimension scores above: 0.25×7.5 + 0.25×7.5 + 0.20×7.5 + 0.15×7.5 + 0.15×7.0. Othos Telecom is not a sponsor, and sponsorship does not move a score.
- Pricing value, 25%Rate transparency, setup friction, contract flexibility
- Feature set, 25%Controls, analytics, integrations, admin usability
- Customer reviews, 20%Aggregate rating and volume on Google and HelloPeter, treated as directional, never definitive
- Reliability and uptime, 15%Infrastructure ownership, hosting location, published uptime evidence
- Support quality, 15%Support hours, location, and what customer reviews say about resolution
FAQ
Short answers for the questions buyers typically ask before requesting quotes.
What is Othos Telecom?
A Cape Town cloud telephony provider at 20 Cumberland Rd, Paarden Eiland, that runs its phone system on Amazon Web Services under an ICASA licence and states a customer base of more than 400 South African businesses, including RocoMamas, Hello Peter and the Steenberg Group.
How much does Othos Telecom cost?
Three published plans priced per plan with a user cap: Starter at R149 a month for up to 3 users, SMB at R399 for up to 10 and Enterprise at R649 for up to 20, with 20% off on a yearly term and no setup fee. Calls are from R0.29 a minute to landlines and R0.39 to mobiles, billed per second. The VAT basis is not stated on the pricing page.
Is there a contract?
No fixed term. Plans are month-to-month, or yearly at a 20% discount, with no hardware purchase.
What features come included?
Call recording, IVR, ring groups, queues, time conditions, voicemail-to-email and remote extensions on every plan, with a web portal and operator panel. Mobile apps are included from the SMB plan, and desktop apps and API access on Enterprise. On Starter, recording and IVR are listed as on-demand options.
What is the four-year uptime claim?
The home page cites a 100% uptime track record over four years on the AWS-hosted system. It is a marketing claim; no SLA, measurement window or service credits are published, so ask for the SLA wording at quote.
Does Othos Telecom support number porting?
Yes. Confirm the timeline and any per-number admin fee before you cancel the old service; lead time depends on the donor carrier.
Can I try Othos before committing?
Yes. A free trial and demo bookings are offered on the site, and setup is stated as within a working day.
Sources, disclosure and what changedWhere this review’s facts come from, how WhichVoIP gets paid, and the update history
- othos.co.za cloud PBX pricing pageUsed for the Starter, SMB and Enterprise plans (R149, R399, R649 a month with their user caps), call rates from R0.29 and R0.39 a minute, no setup fee and the 20% yearly discount. VAT basis not stated. Re-read 4 September 2026. Open source →
- othos.co.za home and product pagesUsed for the AWS hosting, ICASA licence statement, four-year uptime claim, status page, free trial, feature list by tier, Number Spinner, AVM, CCTV, reseller programme and named customers. Verified 21 May 2026. Open source →
- Othos Telecom Google Business Profile (Paarden Eiland)Used for the 5.0-star rating across 45 reviews and the three verbatim quotes. Read live 6 September 2026. Open source →
- Othos on HelloPeterUsed for the no-reviews-in-twelve-months observation. Open source →
Othos Telecom is not a WhichVoIP sponsor. This review was researched and written by WhichVoIP’s editorial team using primary sources (provider website, Google Business Profile, HelloPeter listing and the prior WhichVoIP review). WhichVoIP may receive a referral fee when you request quotes through our platform. Read our full editorial policy.
- 6 September 2026Page rebuilt in the updated review layout. Google listing re-read: 5.0 across 45 reviews unchanged, three recent reviews quoted verbatim in place of the aggregate and testimonial cards. Pricing table rebuilt from the 4 September re-read, with the VAT basis flagged as not stated. Alternatives expanded to three with reasons; South African essentials rewritten to the four standard checks; journey rail and collapsed sources block added. Score unchanged at 7.4.
- 4 September 2026Re-scored on the five-dimension rubric (pricing value 25%, feature set 25%, customer reviews 20%, reliability and uptime 15%, support quality 15%) from 7.8 to 7.4. Customer reviews now reads the Paarden Eiland Google listing recorded in the WhichVoIP record (5.0 stars, 45 reviews, sampled 16 August 2026). Pricing page re-read at othos.co.za on 4 September 2026: plans, call rates and terms unchanged.
- 21 May 2026Pricing corrected to the published three-tier plan structure (Starter R149 / SMB R399 / Enterprise R649 a month, priced per plan with a user cap) after a fact-check against the Othos Cloud PBX pricing page – the prior “single R149-per-user all-in rate, no per-tier gating” framing was inaccurate. Pricing value and Feature set rescored to 7.5 each to reflect the per-tier feature gating; overall score moved from 8.0 to 7.8.
- 20 May 2026Score held at 8.0 against the updated 4-axis rubric. Support and reliability lifted to 8.5 honestly reflecting the 5.0★ / 45 Google aggregate (strongest in our small-SA-voice cohort) alongside the hyperscaler operational posture and the public Status Page. Catalogue surface broadened to capture Number Spinner, AVM, CCTV and the Resellers programme – not in the prior review framing. Single-platform-feedback caveat surfaced explicitly for buyers wanting cross-platform evidence.
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