SABC’s mobile news service NewsBreak 082 152 has overtaken newspapers as the main matriculation results provider, via cellphone or telephone, for the Department of Education .

News Break 082 152 is one of South Africa's most popular audio news information lines. This joint venture with Vodacom and Marketel provides an immediate range of news and information to users, available 24 hours. It provides eight different options including breaking news; sports news; automated traffic updates; and Johannesburg Securities Exchange financial indicators; weather and automated academic results including the matric results service - offered in voice format on the day of release and via pre-registration from October 1st every year. NewsBreak 082 152 is the only service in South Africa to also provide voice results as well sms. Detailed results by subject are also accessible. Other services include an in-depth news line and major events such as elections.

It has grown since launch in Dec 1999, to be the most popular results service in the country, with over 350 000 call minutes, and 115 000 smses in 2008. The 082 152 service as a whole hit a million call minutes for the month of December in 2005. This year Standard Bank is sponsoring four study bursaries worth R50 000 each to students who register on and use the results service.

Learners can access their results by dialing 082 152, choosing option 6 for results and supplying details of their identification and examination numbers, as per the prompts.

Excerpt taken from The Media Online