In 2021, a survey conducted in South Africa about the age distribution of instant messaging application use found that Signal had the youngest share of users among the messaging apps under review. Some 70 percent of Signal users were between the ages of 15 to 34 years old. Conversely, WhatsApp had the oldest share of users among the listed messaging apps, with 20.64 percent of people over 45 years old.
Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age
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Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age
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January 18 to May 14 and July 13 to Semptember 31, 2021
Number of respondents
24,666 respondents
Age group
15 years and older
Special properties
The data was collected in two waves
Supplementary notes
TGI/AskAfrika, annually interviews 24,666 respondents, aged 15+ living in urban areas with 8000 or more inhabitants, using a stratified random probability sample. The data is weighted to the South African national statistics service "Statistics South Africa's" population estimates, which allows for an accurate representation of 27.76 million South Africans.
To ensure a nationally representative sample, the survey is based on enumerated area (EA) sampling.
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Ornico, & World Wide Worx. (June 30, 2022). Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved March 31, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1333117/distribution-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-on-social-media-in-south-africa-in-2021-by-age/
Ornico, und World Wide Worx. "Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age." Chart. June 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed March 31, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1333117/distribution-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-on-social-media-in-south-africa-in-2021-by-age/
Ornico, World Wide Worx. (2022). Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: March 31, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1333117/distribution-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-on-social-media-in-south-africa-in-2021-by-age/
Ornico, and World Wide Worx. "Distribution of Instant Messaging Apps Users on Social Media in South Africa in 2021, by Age." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1333117/distribution-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-on-social-media-in-south-africa-in-2021-by-age/
Ornico & World Wide Worx, Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1333117/distribution-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-on-social-media-in-south-africa-in-2021-by-age/ (last visited March 31, 2025)
Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by age [Graph], Ornico, & World Wide Worx, June 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1333117/distribution-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-on-social-media-in-south-africa-in-2021-by-age/
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