South Africa Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 9 Jan 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 253

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

South Africans accessing more satellite internet solutions

South Africa’s telecom sector boasts one of the most advanced infrastructures on the continent. There has been considerable investment from Telkom, Liquid Intelligence Technologies, Broadband InfraCo, and municipal providers as well as from the mobile network operators MTN and Vodacom, all aimed at improving network capabilities. Vodacom in late 2023 made a bid to merge with MAZIV, in which it has a 30% stake, to improve its presence in the fibre broadband sector. This has so far been blocked by the Competition Commission.

The focus in recent years has been on backhaul capacity and on fibre and LTE networks to extend and improve internet service connectivity. With the ongoing migration to fibre, the incumbent telco Telkom expects to close down its copper network by the end of 2024. Several satellite solutions also appeared in 2023, aimed at providing additional backhaul and improving connectivity in rural areas. Starlink, which provides services in neighbouring Mozambique and Eswatini, has yet to receive a licence to operate in South Africa, though thousands of households access Starlink regardless.

The mobile sector has developed strongly in recent years, partly due to the poor availability and level of service of fixed-line networks, which meant that many people had no alternative to mobile networks for voice and data services.

A multi-spectrum auction delayed several times due to legal wrangling was finally held in March 2022. The delay caused difficulties for network operators, which were forced to refarm spectrum for 3G and LTE use, and provide 5G services on temporary licences. Six qualified bidders acquired spectrum. This raised ZAR14.4 billion, though by the end of 2023 a large proportion of the licence fees remained unpaid.

The market has shrugged off the economic impact of the pandemic, which caused significant difficulties for production and supply chains and saw a slowdown in some network expansions, particularly around 5G. However, since 2022 the national power gird has come under considerable strain. Load-shedding has become the norm, leading to telcos having to invest in other power sources (mainly diesel and solar), thus impacting on revenue.

The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.

Key developments

Cell C switches off its own network and completes its migration to a virtual RAN operating on MTN’s network.
Competition Commission recommends against merger of Vodacom South Africa with MAZIV.
Wireless ISPs gain access to 6GHz spectrum.
Satellite broadband gaining traction despite Starlink not yet receiving a licence.
Telcos’ finances impacted by continued power load-shedding.
Report update includes the regulator's annual report for 2022, March 2023 report on the ICT sector, operator data to Q3 2023, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report

Vodacom, MTN (MTN Network Solutions), Cell C, Telkom (Heita, 8ta), Virgin Mobile, Neotel, Atlantic Internet Services, Business Connexion, Internet Solutions, Verizon Business, MWEB, Vox Telecom (DataPro), Sentech, iBurst (WBS, Blue Label), Liquid Intelligence Technologies, Virgin Mobile, Broadband InfraCo, Transtel, Eskom, SEACOM, Transtel, Eskom, SITA, Sentech, Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), FibreCo, eFive, WASACE.

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Historical overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed line developments

Telecommunications Act
Telecommunications Amendment Act
Electronic Communications Acts (2005, 2014)
Regulation of Interception of Communications Act 2002
Electronic Communications Act and ICASA Amendment Act
Converged licensing regime
New Companies Act
Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF)
Interconnection

Mobile network developments

Spectrum
Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
SIM card registration
Infrastructure sharing
Roaming

Mobile market

Mobile statistics
Mobile voice (VoLTE/Wi-Fi calling)
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
LTE-U
3G
GSM
Other infrastructure developments

Mobile data

Mobile broadband
Major mobile operators

Vodacom South Africa
MTN South Africa
Cell C
Telkom Mobile
Mobile Virtual Network Enablers (MVNEs)
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Mobile content and applications

m-music
CellBook
m-payment
m-banking
m-gaming
m-health
m-advertising
Location-based services (LBS)
Manobi
Mobile social media

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis
Community access projects

Microsoft Digital Villages and telecentres
The Smart Cape Access Project

Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA)
Internet Exchange Points (IXP)
Broadband statistics
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks

Wholesale
ADSL2+
VDSL

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

Telkom
Vodacom

Other fixed broadband services

Broadband over Powerlines (BPL)
Fixed wireless

Digital economy

E-learning
E-government
E-health
E-banking

Fixed network operators

Telkom
Neotel

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
National fibre infrastructure

Broadband InfraCo
Dark Fibre Africa
Vodacom
MTN
FibreCo

International submarine cables

SAT-3/WASC/SAFE
SEACOM
EASSy
WACS
Equiano
African Coast to Europe (ACE)
SAEx, WASACE
Seaborn
METISS
PEACE
2Africa

Satellite
Next Generation Networks (NGN)
Municipal networks

Knysna – Africa’s first municipal network

Data centres
Smart infrastructure

Smart cities

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – South Africa – 2024 (e)
Table 2 – Change in the proportion of households with telecom service by type – 2014 – 2021
Table 3 – Development of telecom sector investment – 2015 – 2022
Table 4 – Development of telecom sector investment by sector (ZAR million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 5 – Development of telecom sector revenue by service (ZAR billion) – 2015 – 2022
Table 6 – Development of total telecom and broadcasting revenue (ZAR billion) – 2015 – 2022
Table 7 – Change in fixed revenue by type (ZAR million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 8 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2015 – 2022
Table 9 – Change in mobile revenue by sector (ZAR million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 10 – Development of mobile prepaid revenue by type (ZAR million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 12 – Growth in the number of active mobile subscribers – 2019 – 2022
Table 13 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers (million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 14 – Change in mobile voice traffic by type (billion minutes) – 2015 – 2022
Table 15 – Change in the number of mobile base stations by technology – 2021 – 2022
Table 16 – Development of 3G, 4G (WiMAX/LTE), and 5G population coverage – 2012 – 2022
Table 17 – Development of 5G population coverage – 2020 – 2022
Table 18 – Increase in the number of Telkom’s LTE subscribers – 2016 – 2018
Table 19 – Increase in the number of LTE devices in service – 2018 – 2022
Table 20 – Increase in the number of M2M connections – 2015 – 2022
Table 21 – Growth in SMS traffic – 2013 – 2021
Table 22 – Increase in the number of smartphone users (million) – 2016 – 2022
Table 23 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Table 24 – Increase in the number of Telkom’s mobile broadband subscribers by type – 2015 – 2023
Table 25 – Growth in Telkom’s mobile broadband revenue – 2015 – 2024
Table 26 – Growth in Telkom’s mobile data traffic – 2015 – 2024
Table 27 – Growth in overall mobile data traffic – 2015 – 2022
Table 28 – Growth in the number of mobile data subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Table 29 – Development of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile revenue (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 30 – Development of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile contract and prepaid revenue (ZAR billion) – 2015 – 2024
Table 31 – Growth in the number of Vodacom South Africa’s subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2023
Table 32 – Change in the number of Vodacom South Africa’s prepaid and contract subscribers (million) – 2017 – 2023
Table 33 – Growth in the number of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile data subscribers – 2013 – 2023
Table 34 – Development of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile ARPU (ZAR/subscriber/month) – 2017 – 2023
Table 35 – Change in the number of MTN South Africa’s mobile sites by technology – 2017 – 2023
Table 36 – Change in the number of MTN South Africa’s mobile subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2022
Table 37 – Change in the number of MTN South Africa’s prepaid, contract subscribers (million) – 2013 – 2023
Table 38 – Development of MTN South Africa’s financial data (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 39 – Development of MTN South Africa’s revenue by type (ZAR million)– 2017 – 2023
Table 40 – Development of MTN South Africa’s mobile ARPU (ZAR / month) – 2013 – 2023
Table 41 – Change in the number of Cell C mobile subscribers – 2013 – 2023
Table 42 – Increase in Cell C’s mobile service revenue – 2013 – 2023
Table 43 – Development of Cell C’s EBITDA and profit data (ZAR billion) – 2016 – 2022
Table 44 – Growth in the number of Telkom’s prepaid and contract mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2015 – 2023
Table 45 – Development of Telkom’s mobile financial data (ZAR million) – 2014 – 2024
Table 46 – Change in Telkom’s annual mobile ARPU (ZAR / month) – 2014 – 2024
Table 47 – Increase in the number of Vodacom’s VodaPay active users – 2020 – 2023
Table 48 – Development of Vodacom’s VodaPay revenue – 2021 – 2023
Table 49 – Change in fixed internet revenue by type (ZAR million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 50 – Development of the Schools Connected program – 2016 – 2022
Table 51 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 52 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers (regulator data) – 2012 – 2027
Table 53 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by type (thousand) – 2015 – 2022
Table 54 – Change in the number of DSL subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Table 55 – Change in the number of Telkom’s broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 56 – Growth in Telkom’s fixed data traffic – 2014 – 2024
Table 57 – Change in the number of Telkom’s DSL subscribers by type – 2016 – 2019
Table 58 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2021
Table 59 – Increase in the number of Telkom Openserve’s fibre premises passed and connected – 2017 – 2023
Table 60 – Increase in Vodacom’s fixed revenue – 2018 – 2023
Table 61 – Change in the number of fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2022
Table 62 – Development of Telkom Group’s financial results (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 63 – Change in Telkom Group’s capex by type (ZAR million) – 2017 – 2024
Table 64 – Development of Telkom’s data revenue – 2012 – 2024
Table 65 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 66 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service by type – 2015 – 2022
Table 67 – Decline in fixed-line voice traffic (billion minutes) – 2015 – 2022
Table 68 – Increase in international internet bandwidth (Mb/s) – 2015 – 2022
Table 69 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate in South Africa – 1999 – 2011
Table 70 – Historic - Vodacom South Africa subscribers and market share – 2002 – 2011
Table 71 – Historic - MTN South Africa subscribers and market share – 2002 – 2011
Table 72 – Historic - Average internet access speed – 2010 – 2015
Table 73 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2002 – 2011
Table 74 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in South Africa – 1999 – 2015
Table 75 – Historic -Telkom South Africa broadband subscribers – 2003 – 2011
Table 76 – Historic - Telkom fixed broadband subscribers by type – 2016 – 2018
Table 77 – Historic - Telkom South Africa WiMAX subscribers – 2008 – 2014
Table 78 – Historic - Telkom data revenue – 2002 – 2011
Table 79 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity in South Africa – 2000 – 2011
Table 80 – Historic - International internet bandwidth – 2000 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Africa – Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 4 – Africa – Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 6 – Africa – Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 – Africa - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 – Africa - mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Africa - fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Change in the proportion of households with telecom service by type – 2014 – 2021
Chart 11 – Development of telecom sector investment – 2015 – 2022
Chart 12 – Development of telecom sector investment by sector – 2015 – 2022
Chart 13 – Development of telecom sector revenue by service – 2015 – 2022
Chart 14 – Development of total telecom and broadcasting revenue (ZAR billion) – 2015 – 2022
Chart 15 – Change in fixed revenue by type – 2015 – 2022
Chart 16 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2015 – 2022
Chart 17 – Change in mobile revenue by sector – 2015 – 2022
Chart 18 – Development of mobile prepaid revenue by type – 2015 – 2022
Chart 19 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 20 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Chart 21 – Change in mobile voice traffic by type – 2015 – 2022
Chart 22 – Increase in the number of M2M connections – 2015 – 2022
Chart 23 – Increase in the number of smartphone users – 2016 – 2022
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Chart 25 – Increase in the number of Telkom’s mobile broadband subscribers by type – 2015 – 2023
Chart 26 – Growth in Telkom’s mobile broadband revenue – 2015 – 2024
Chart 27 – Development of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2024
Chart 28 – Development of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile contract and prepaid revenue – 2015 – 2024
Chart 29 – Change in the number of Vodacom South Africa’s prepaid and contract subscribers – 2017 – 2023
Chart 30 – Growth in the number of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile data subscribers – 2013 – 2023
Chart 31 – Development of Vodacom South Africa’s mobile ARPU – 2017 – 2023
Chart 32 – Change in the number of MTN South Africa’s mobile sites by technology – 2017 – 2023
Chart 33 – Change in the number of MTN South Africa’s mobile subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2023
Chart 34 – Change in the number of MTN South Africa’s prepaid, contract subscribers – 2013 – 2023
Chart 35 – Development of MTN South Africa’s financial data – 2012 – 2023
Chart 36 – Development of MTN South Africa’s revenue by type – 2017 – 2023
Chart 37 – Development of MTN South Africa’s mobile ARPU – 2013 – 2023
Chart 38 – Change in the number of Cell C mobile subscribers – 2013 – 2023
Chart 39 – Increase in Cell C’s mobile service revenue – 2013 – 2023
Chart 40 – Development of Cell C’s financial data – 2016 – 2022
Chart 41 – Growth in the number of Telkom’s prepaid and contract mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2023
Chart 42 – Development of Telkom’s mobile financial data – 2017 – 2024
Chart 43 – Change in Telkom’s mobile ARPU – 2014 – 2024
Chart 44 – Change in fixed internet revenue by type – 2015 – 2022
Chart 45 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 46 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by type – 2015 – 2022
Chart 47 – Growth in the number of Telkom’s broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 48 – Growth in Telkom’s fixed data traffic – 2014 – 2024
Chart 49 – Change in the number of Telkom’s DSL subscribers by type – 2016 – 2019
Chart 50 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2022
Chart 51 – Increase in the number of Telkom Openserve’s fibre premises passed and connected – 2020 – 2023
Chart 52 – Change in the number of fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2022
Chart 53 – Development of Telkom Group’s financial results – 2014 – 2024
Chart 54 – Change in Telkom Group’s capex by type – 2017 – 2024
Chart 55 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 56 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service by type – 2015 – 2022
Chart 57 – Decline in fixed-line voice traffic – 2015 – 2022
Chart 58 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2015 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Africa – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Africa – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Africa – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – National Broadband Policy penetration targets to 2030

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South Africa Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

South Africans accessing more satellite internet solutions

Key developments

Companies mentioned in this report

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Data centres

Smart infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views