In 2021, a survey conducted in South Africa about the distribution of instant messing application users by province found that WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger were more popular in Gauteng both with a share of users around 40 percent. Similarly, Telegram and Signal were most popular in the province of North West, also with user rates of around 40 percent.
Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by province
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 province [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 12, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336928/share-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-in-south-africa-by-province/
Ornico, und World Wide Worx. "Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by province." Chart. June 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed November 12, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336928/share-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-in-south-africa-by-province/
Ornico, World Wide Worx. (2022). Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by province. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 12, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336928/share-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-in-south-africa-by-province/
Ornico, and World Wide Worx. "Distribution of Instant Messaging Apps Users on Social Media in South Africa in 2021, by Province." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336928/share-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-in-south-africa-by-province/
Ornico & World Wide Worx, Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by province Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336928/share-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-in-south-africa-by-province/ (last visited November 12, 2024)
Distribution of instant messaging Apps users on social media in South Africa in 2021, by province [Graph], Ornico, & World Wide Worx, June 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336928/share-of-instant-messaging-apps-users-in-south-africa-by-province/
