Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Africa
South Africa: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 179.34 per 100 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 179.34 per 100 people for mobile cellular subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in South Africa peaked at 179.34 per 100 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
That places South Africa 10th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 6 |
| 1980s | 0.001 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.0103 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.68 per 100 people | 0.0142 per 100 people | 11.19 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.57 per 100 people | 17.68 per 100 people | 89.77 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 140.04 per 100 people | 96.23 per 100 people | 162.74 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 166.63 per 100 people | 158.45 per 100 people | 179.34 per 100 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More infrastructure data for South Africa
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.01 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 114.79 million (2024)
- Air transport, passengers carried 15.45 million (2023)
- Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide 169,154 (2023)
- Air transport, freight 59.67 million ton-km (2023)
- Renewable internal freshwater resources, total 44.8 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita 718.2 cubic meters (2022)
- Individuals using the Internet 78.4% (2024)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, domestic 17.4% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in South Africa?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Africa was 179.34 per 100 people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 179.34 per 100 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- South Africa ranks 10th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Mobile cellular telephone subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service that provide access to the PSTN using cellular technology. The indicator includes (and is split into) the number of postpaid subscriptions, and the number of active prepaid accounts (i.e. that have been used during the last three months). The indicator applies to all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications. It excludes subscriptions via data cards or USB modems, subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint, radio paging and telemetry services.