The BlackBerry Bold 2 (9700) launched in South Africa on Thursday. The much anticipated device is currently available to subscribers on MTN and Vodacom will soon have stock of the device too.

The 9700 is Research in Motion (RIM)’s flagship device sporting a 624 megahertz processor, 256 megabytes of flash memory, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi, a 3.2 megapixel camera and the new mini trackpad for navigation. It’s less bulky than its predecessor and replaces the leather back of the 9000 with a textured pad that is flush with the rest of the casing.

“The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone builds on the success of the original model with new, top-of-the-line features in a smaller and lighter design,” said Deon Liebenberg, regional director for Sub-Sahara Africa at Research In Motion.

The 9700 also ships with BlackBerry OS 5.0 that offers several enhancements, including faster JavaScript and CSS processing as well as built-in integration with Gmail for contacts syncing, an enhanced calendaring application, and other improvements.

I’ve been playing with the 9700 for two days and have been impressed with the speed and responsiveness of the device. The keyboard is great, as was the 9000′s, with the angled-keys that made the Bold ridiculously popular with BlackBerry users.

It’s too early for a comprehensive review, but look out for Finweek Magazine next week where I’ll be running an extended review.