Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 3,629,141
[see also: Telephones - fixed lines - total subscriptions country ranks ]
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7
(2017 est.)
[see also: Telephones - fixed lines - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
39
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions: 91,878,275
[see also: Telephones - mobile cellular - total subscriptions country ranks ]
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 168
(2017 est.)
[see also: Telephones - mobile cellular - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
18
Telephone system:
general assessment:
the system is the best-developed and most modern in Africa; mobile Internet accounts for about 95% of Internet connections; 94% with access to WiMAX/LTE services; 5G trials; LTE-A services launched for commercial use
(2018)
domestic:
fixed-line 7 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular 168 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria
(2018)
international:
country code - 27; landing points for the WACS, ACE, SAFE, SAT-3, Equiano, SABR, SAEx1, SAEx2, IOX Cable System, METISS, EASSy, and SEACOM/ Tata TGN-Eurasia fiber-optic submarine cable systems connecting South Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Asia, South America, Indian Ocean Islands, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
(2019)
Broadcast media:
the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas
Internet users:
total: 29,322,380
[see also: Internet users - total country ranks ]
percent of population: 54%
(July 2016 est.)
[see also: Internet users - percent of population country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
25
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total: 1,698,360
[see also: Broadband - fixed subscriptions - total country ranks ]
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3
(2017 est.)
[see also: Broadband - fixed subscriptions - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
57
