Vodacom and Research In Motion (RIM) have announced that the BlackBerry PlayBook (review here) tablet is now available in South Africa from Vodacom.  

The BlackBerry PlayBook features a 7” design and delivers an uncompromised web browsing experience with support for Adobe Flash, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a robust development environment.

It will come in three Wi-Fi models, featuring 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of memory storage. Recommended retail prices will start from R5600.

“We’re very excited to make the BlackBerry PlayBook available to customers. It is available today at Vodacom World in Johannesburg and will be available from participating stores nationwide from 29 August 2011,” said Vodacom’s managing executive for Sales, Zunaid Dinath. “With its set of features, portability and power, the BlackBerry PlayBook is an ideal companion for busy people on the move.”

Craige Fleischer, regional director for Southern Africa at RIM added: “We’re pleased to bring South African customers an innovative and truly portable tablet which delivers uncompromised performance and a fantastic mobile experience for both consumers and business users. With its exceptional multimedia and Web functionality, as well as its support for true multitasking, this is the tablet that discerning users have been waiting for.”

BlackBerry PlayBook specifications:

•      7" (1024 x 600) WSVGA capacitive LCD touch-screen
•      Ultra-portable - weighing in at a mere 425 g and measuring 130 x 194 x 10 mm
•      1 GHz dual-core processor
•      BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
•      MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
•      Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
•      1080p HDMI output
•      Dual full HD (1080p) cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3 MP front-facing and 5 MP rear)
•      1 GB RAM memory
•      Up to 64 GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)
•      GPS, orientation sensor (accelerometer), 6-Axis motion sensor (gyroscope), digital compass (magnetometer)
•      Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
•      Wi-Fi (802.11 n) connectivity
•      Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support

In related news RIM has also recently announced BBM Music, a new BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) service for socially connected music fans, as well as its new BlackBerry Curve 9350, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Curve 9370 smartphones.