Natalie Cowling
Research Expert South Africa
Internet usage in South Africa - statistics & facts
South Africa ranked third among the countries with the largest number of internet users on the African continent. As of early 2022, there were around 41.2 million active South African internet users, only following the more populous Nigeria and Egypt. Furthermore, the country had the second fastest internet in Africa, with a speed of 28.62 megabits per second (Mbps). South Africa also topped the continent's internet freedom ranking, scoring 73 points as of 2022.
Internet user demographics
There has been significant growth in internet users in South Africa recently. In the last four years, internet penetration increased from 62.4 percent to some 80 percent of the population. There was a slightly higher share of men than women using the internet, according to a survey conducted in 2021. That year, most web surfers in the country were living in Gauteng, with some 43 percent. Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape followed with a share of 13.2 percent and 12.4 percent, respectively.Mobile internet and fixed internet
Mobile devices have made surfing the internet easier and more convenient. In South Africa, mobile devices were at the forefront of web traffic, with almost 80 percent of the market share by late 2022. In fact, the number of mobile cellular connections in South Africa amounted to close to 108 million, representing around 180 percent of the South African population. Moreover, fixed broadband connections have also been on the rise since 2018. In 2021, subscriptions reached almost 1.7 million, falling 11,000 subscriptions lower than the peak in 2014.Online activities and e-commerce
South Africans mainly use the internet as a source of information and to stay connected to family and friends. As of 2021, finding information, researching how to, finding ideas, and staying in touch were the most popular reasons among individuals for surfing the internet. Furthermore, internet users in the country also enjoyed playing video games, with just over 90 percent playing on any of their devices. Of those, the majority used their smartphones. As a result of the increase in digital users, online e-commerce activities have followed the same trend. About 47 percent of the digital population purchased a good or service online as of the third quarter of 2021.
