South Africa’s MNOs Anticipating Spectrum Auction in 2019
South Africa's MNOs can expect delayed multi-spectrum in early 2022
South Africa's fixed telecom connections are gradually being migrated from copper to fibre. Telkom expects to complete the process by the end of 2024. As a result, the number of the company's DSL broadband subscribers has fallen sharply in recent years.
Stimulated by demands made on broadband infrastructure during the pandemic, and on the need to improve digital services, the government in late 2021 began working on plans to roll out broadband services nationally by the end of 2023. This would update existing plans by which national coverage were expected to have been reached in 2030. Part of the wider plan includes completing the switchover to digital broadcasting by March 2022, which will release sub-GHz spectrum for mobile broadband services.
In addition, national coverage will rely on improved access to mobile broadband. The much-delayed multi-spectrum auction is scheduled by mid-2022. The MNOs have managed to address rising data traffic demand by refarming existing spectrum concessions, though 5G services are still offered under a legacy principle using existing concessions in the 3.5GHz band. Conscious that this is unsatisfactory on a number of levels, the regulator in November 2021 announced plans to issue provisional spectrum licences to MNOs under the new regulations introduced as a response to the pandemic. This will enable licensees to increase capacity and improve service quality. The provisional licences will be in effect until athe full auction is held.
Table of Contents
Key statistics- Regional Africa Market Comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI vs GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
Country overview
- Telecommunications market
- Market analysis
Regulatory environment
- Historical overview
- Regulatory authority
- Fixed line developments
- Mobile network developments
Mobile market
- Mobile statistics
- Mobile voice (VoLTE/Wi-Fi calling)
- Mobile infrastructure
- Mobile data
- Mobile broadband
- Major mobile operators
- Mobile content and applications
Fixed-line broadband market
- Market analysis
- Community access projects
- Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA)
- Internet Exchange Points (IXP)
- Broadband statistics
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- Other fixed broadband services
- Digital economy
Fixed network operators
- Telkom
- Neotel
Telecommunications infrastructure
- Overview of the national telecom network
- National fibre infrastructure
- International submarine cables
- Satellite
- Next Generation Networks (NGN)
- Municipal networks
Data centres
- Smart infrastructure
- Smart cities
Appendix Historic data
- Glossary of abbreviations
- Related reports
List of Tables
- Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities South Africa 2022 (e)
- Table 2 Change in the proportion of households with telecom service by type 2014 2020
- Table 3 Development of Telecom sector investment 2015 2021
- Table 4 Development of telecom sector investment by sector (ZAR million) 2015 2021
- Table 5 Development of telecom sector revenue by service (ZAR billion) 2015 2021
- Table 6 Development of total telecom and broadcasting revenue (ZAR billion) 2015 2021
- Table 7 Change in fixed revenue by type (ZAR million) 2015 2021
- Table 8 Development of mobile sector revenue 2015 2021
- Table 9 Change in mobile revenue by sector (ZAR million) 2015 2021
- Table 10 Development of mobile prepaid revenue by type (ZAR million) 2015 2021
- Table 11 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 12 Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers (million) 2015 2021
- Table 13 Change in mobile voice traffic by type (billion minutes) 2015 2021
- Table 14 Telkom LTE subscribers 2016 2018
- Table 15 Increase in the number of LTE devices in service 2018 2021
- Table 16 Development of 4G (WiMAX/LTE) population coverage 2012 2021
- Table 17 Development of 3G population coverage 2015 2021
- Table 18 Growth in the number of M2M connections 2015 2021
- Table 19 Growth in SMS traffic 2013 2020
- Table 20 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2012 2027
- Table 21 Increase in the number of Telkom's mobile broadband subscribers by type 2015 2021
- Table 22 Growth in Telkom's mobile broadband revenue 2015 2022
- Table 23 Growth in Telkom's mobile data traffic 2015 2022
- Table 24 Growth in overall mobile data traffic 2015 2021
- Table 25 Growth in the number of mobile data subscribers 2015 2021
- Table 26 Development of Vodacom South Africa's mobile revenue (ZAR million) 2012 2022
- Table 27 Growth in the number of Vodacom South Africa's subscribers and market share 2012 2021
- Table 28 Change in the number of Vodacom South Africa's prepaid and contract subscribers (million) 2017 2021
- Table 29 Growth in the number of Vodacom South Africa's mobile data subscribers 2013 2021
- Table 30 Development of Vodacom South Africa's mobile ARPU (ZAR/subscriber/month) 2017 2021
- Table 31 Change in the number of MTN South Africa's mobile subscribers and market share 2012 2022
- Table 32 Change in the number of MTN South Africa's prepaid, contract subscribers (million) 2013 2022
- Table 33 Development of MTN South Africa's financial data (ZAR million) 2012 2021
- Table 34 Development of MTN South Africa's mobile ARPU (ZAR/month) 2013 2022
- Table 35 Change in the number of Cell C mobile subscribers 2013 2021
- Table 36 Growth in Cell C's mobile service revenue 2013 2021
- Table 37 Increase in Cell C's mobile data revenue 2016 2018
- Table 38 Development of Cell C's financial data (ZAR billion) 2016 2021
- Table 39 Growth in the number of Telkom's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 40 Growth in the number of Telkom's prepaid and contract mobile subscribers (thousand) 2015 2021
- Table 41 Development of Telkom's mobile financial data (ZAR million) 2014 2022
- Table 42 Change in Telkom's annual mobile ARPU (ZAR/month) 2014 2022
- Table 43 Change in fixed internet revenue by type (ZAR million) 2015 2021
- Table 44 Development of the Schools Connected program 2016 2021
- Table 45 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 46 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by type (thousand) 2015 2021
- Table 47 Change in the number of Telkom's broadband subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 48 Growth in Telkom's fixed data traffic 2014 2022
- Table 49 Change in the number of Telkom's DSL subscribers by type 2016 2019
- Table 50 Change in Telkom's fixed copper and fibre broadband subscribers 2017 2021
- Table 51 Increase in the number of Telkom South Africa's fibre ports 2017 2021
- Table 52 Telkom South Africa fibre premises passed 2016 2019
- Table 53 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2013 2021
- Table 54 Change in the number of fixed wireless broadband subscribers 2017 2021
- Table 55 Development of Telkom Group's financial results (ZAR million) 2012 2022
- Table 56 Change in Telkom Group's capex by type (ZAR million) 2017 2022
- Table 57 Development of Telkom's data revenue 2012 2022
- Table 58 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
- Table 59 Change in the number of fixed lines in service by type 2015 2021
- Table 60 Decline in fixed-line voice traffic (billion minutes) 2015 2021
- Table 61 Growth in international internet bandwidth 2014 2020
- Table 62 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate in South Africa 1999 2011
- Table 63 Historic - Vodacom South Africa subscribers and market share 2002 2011
- Table 64 Historic - MTN South Africa subscribers and market share 2002 2011
- Table 65 Historic - Average internet access speed 2010 2015
- Table 66 Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2002 2011
- Table 67 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in South Africa 1999 2015
- Table 68 Historic -Telkom South Africa broadband subscribers 2003 2011
- Table 69 Historic - Telkom fixed broadband subscribers by type 2016 2018
- Table 70 Historic - Telkom South Africa WiMAX subscribers 2008 2014
- Table 71 Historic - Telkom data revenue 2002 2011
- Table 72 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity in South Africa 2000 2011
- Table 73 Historic - International internet bandwidth 2000 2011
List of Charts
- Chart 1 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders
- Chart 2 Africa Market Leaders global ranking
- Chart 3 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
- Chart 4 Africa Market Challengers global ranking
- Chart 5 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
- Chart 6 Africa Market Emergents global ranking
- Chart 7 Africa - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
- Chart 8 Africa - mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 9 Africa - fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 10 Change in the proportion of households with telecom service by type 2014 2020
- Chart 11 Development of telecom sector investment by sector 2015 2021
- Chart 12 Development of telecom sector revenue by service 2015 2021
- Chart 13 Change in fixed revenue by type 2015 2021
- Chart 14 Change in mobile revenue by sector 2015 2021
- Chart 15 Development of mobile prepaid revenue by type 2015 2021
- Chart 16 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 17 Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers 2015 2021
- Chart 18 Change in mobile voice traffic by type 2015 2021
- Chart 19 Development of 4G (WiMAX/LTE) population coverage 2012 2021
- Chart 20 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2012 2027
- Chart 21 Increase in the number of Telkom's mobile broadband subscribers by type 2015 2021
- Chart 22 Development of Vodacom South Africa's mobile revenue 2012 2022
- Chart 23 Change in the number of Vodacom South Africa's prepaid and contract subscribers 2017 2021
- Chart 24 Growth in the number of Vodacom South Africa's mobile data subscribers 2013 2021
- Chart 25 Development of Vodacom South Africa's mobile ARPU 2017 2021
- Chart 26 Change in the number of MTN South Africa's mobile subscribers and market share 2012 2022
- Chart 27 Change in the number of MTN South Africa's prepaid, contract subscribers 2013 2022
- Chart 28 Development of MTN South Africa's financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 29 Development of MTN South Africa's mobile ARPU 2013 2022
- Chart 30 Change in the number of Cell C mobile subscribers 2013 2021
- Chart 31 Growth in Cell C's mobile service revenue 2013 2021
- Chart 32 Development of Cell C's financial data 2016 2021
- Chart 33 Growth in the number of Telkom's prepaid and contract mobile subscribers 2015 2021
- Chart 34 Development of Telkom's mobile financial data 2014 2022
- Chart 35 Change in Telkom's mobile ARPU 2014 2022
- Chart 36 Change in fixed internet revenue by type 2015 2021
- Chart 37 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 38 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by type 2015 2021
- Chart 39 Growth in the number of Telkom's broadband subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 40 Growth in Telkom's fixed data traffic 2014 2022
- Chart 41 Change in the number of Telkom's DSL subscribers by type 2016 2019
- Chart 42 Change in Telkom's fixed copper and fibre broadband subscribers 2017 2021
- Chart 43 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2013 2021
- Chart 44 Development of Telkom Group's financial results 2014 2022
- Chart 45 Change in Telkom Group's capex by type 2017 2022
- Chart 46 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
- Chart 47 Change in the number of fixed lines in service by type 2015 2021
- Chart 48 Decline in fixed-line voice traffic 2015 2021
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
- Exhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
- Exhibit 3 Africa Market Leaders and market developments
- Exhibit 4 Africa Market Challengers and market developments
- Exhibit 5 Africa Market Emergents and market developments
- Exhibit 6 National Broadband Policy penetration targets to 2030
- Exhibit 7 2Africa landing stations
