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Digital & energy access · Sub-Saharan Africa · Upper-middle income

South Africa: internet, mobile and energy access

Internet users is 78.4% (2024), 105th of 188 in the world and 2nd of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mobile subscriptions is 179.3 (2024), 11th of 210 in the world and 2nd of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fixed broadband is 5.3 (2024), 137th of 208 in the world and 5th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Internet users78.4%2024 · world 105/188 · region 2/46Mobile subscriptions179.32024 · world 11/210 · region 2/48Fixed broadband5.32024 · world 137/208 · region 5/48Fixed telephone1.62024 · world 163/213 · region 12/48
Internet users
South AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
0%25%50%75%100%1995200020052010201520202025South Africa78.4%Sub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
Mobile subscriptions
South AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
0.0501001502001995200020052010201520202025South Africa179.3Sub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
12 indicators

Digital & energy access: South Africa in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Internet usersInternet users, % of population78.4%2024105/1882/465.3%24.0%72.1%+29.4 ppsince 201435.7%88.8%73.6%
Mobile subscriptionsMobile subscriptions per 100 people179.3202411/2102/4817.796.2158.4+26%since 201490.4132.4111.5
Fixed broadbandFixed broadband per 100 people5.32024137/2085/480.020021.42.2+74%since 20141.133.020.1
Fixed telephoneFixed telephone lines per 100 people1.62024163/21312/4810.59.33.5−76%since 20140.411.09.9
Secure serversSecure internet servers per million people16,658202448/2152/48·5114,123+7,553%since 20149033,11016,381
Electricity accessAccess to electricity, % of population90.2%2024161/2157/4872.4%82.8%90.0%+4.3 ppsince 201455.1%99.3%91.9%
Electricity access, ruralAccess to electricity, rural, % of rural population86.3%2024157/2117/4754.9%76.9%95.5%+2.2 ppsince 201435.7%98.5%84.9%
Electricity access, urbanAccess to electricity, urban, % of urban population92.4%2024176/21316/4885.6%86.4%87.3%+5.5 ppsince 201482.9%99.8%97.8%
Clean cookingAccess to clean cooking fuels, % of population90.0%2024108/1924/4857.0%77.0%88.0%+7.0 ppsince 201422.9%90.2%75.4%
Electricity use per personElectric power consumption, kWh per person3,308 kWh202465/1491/324,367 kWh4,445 kWh3,478 kWh−20%since 2014380 kWh4,606 kWh3,708 kWh
Energy use per personEnergy use, kg of oil equivalent per person1,907 kgoe202461/1502/322,279 kgoe2,526 kgoe2,040 kgoe−22%since 2014476 kgoe2,183 kgoe1,892 kgoe
Power lossesElectricity transmission and distribution losses, % of output9.8%202475/14928/328.1%9.4%10.5%+1.5 ppsince 201413.4%6.3%6.9%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

South Africa and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with South Africa. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorSouth AfricaMozambiqueZimbabweNamibiaBotswanaLesotho
Internet users78.4%202420.5%202441.6%202464.9%202457.5%202451.8%2024
Mobile subscriptions179.3202449.5202494.2202485.22024164.0202470.32024
Fixed broadband5.320240.120241.920242.820247.420240.42024
Fixed telephone1.620240.120241.820242.620243.320240.32024
Secure servers16,658202437202490202442720244712024862024
Electricity access90.2%202436.9%202462.0%202459.3%202480.2%202460.6%2024
Electricity access, rural86.3%202412.3%202446.6%202441.1%202445.9%202441.4%2024
Electricity access, urban92.4%202479.8%202485.1%202477.2%202496.7%202485.2%2024
Clean cooking90.0%20248.0%202437.0%202446.0%202471.0%202458.0%2024
Mozambique: digital & energy accessZimbabwe: digital & energy accessNamibia: digital & energy accessBotswana: digital & energy accessLesotho: digital & energy access
Digital & energy access in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedDigital & energy access: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedDigital & energy access: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesSouth Africa: all key statisticscountry profile