Google Navigation South Africa

With the introduction of Google Android mobile devices running Android 2.1 to South Africa some of you might have noticed the Google Navigation application within your menu. If you’re using the HTC Desire or HTC Legend, tap menu and scroll down to just after the Market button, the Google Maps Navigation links should be there. It’ll just be called Navigation. See it? Cool now try launching it. Bummer that Google Maps Navigation is not yet available in this location 🙁 At least we have street view 🙂

If anyone from Google reads this or if you know when Navigation will be available in South Africa please share it with us in the comments below. If only Navigation was available before the 2010 World Cup

So what can we do with Google Maps even though we can’t access Google Navigation yet? Not sure if you know this but we can get directions from point A to point B. It’s not turn by turn voice nav but at least it’s directions right? If you’re using the Google Latitude you can also get direction to your friends location. This is where Latitude trumps Foursquare. It’s great to know where your friends have checked in. The real ones you’ve actually met not the people you follow on twitter. Imagine you getting a call from your friend and he tells you his watching the 2010 World Cup opening match between South Africa & Mexico at a place you’ve never been to in an area you do not frequent. With Latitude you’d be able to get directions to you’re friends exact location without even having to ask 😉

[update from lonewolf] (incase you don’t read the comments)
Got navigation working in SA with Brut Google Maps. Basically, it’s exactly the same as the official Google Maps but the internal location has been modified to the US so we can use it. You can install it alongside the official Google Maps without any issues. You can find it at the XDA developers forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=630887
Just install the package using a file browser/manager like Astro (available on the Market).
[end update]

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lonewolf says:

8 June 2010 at 16:06

Got navigation working in SA with Brut Google Maps. Basically, it’s exactly the same as the official Google Maps but the internal location has been modified to the US so we can use it. You can install it alongside the official Google Maps without any issues. You can find it at the XDA developers forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=630887
Just install the package using a file browser/manager like Astro (available on the Market).

Lucillevr says:

12 February 2011 at 11:25

yes its there but if im paying for a phone that say GPS navigation it should work, ill try alternate in the mean time, FYI following the directions could of then be done on a normal phone.