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World Bank · Infrastructure

South Africa: Mobile cellular subscriptions

179.34per 100 people · 2024+25.8% since 2014

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. Annual figures for South Africa from 1960 to 2024.

19852024

Every year

YearValue (per 100 people)Note
2024179.336
2023171.509
2022160.729
2021163.128
2020158.447
2019162.739
2018157.692
2017153.548
2016143.929
2015155.138
2014142.604
2013140.576
2012127.168
2011120.766
201096.233
200989.769
200888.037
200783.715
200679.327
200568.62
200442.536
200334.763
200228.534
200122.678
200017.682
199911.19
19987.278
19974.054
19962.134
19951.216
19940.786
19930.094
19920.03
19910.017
19900.014
19890.01
19880
19870
19860
19850
19840
19830
19820
19810
19800
19790
19780
19770
19760
19750
19700
19650
19600

Source

Published by World Bank, produced by International Telecommunication Union. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved 2026-11-05.

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Cite or download

World Bank (2026). Mobile cellular subscriptions. Interva. https://interva.co/dataset/worldbank-mobile-cellular-subscriptions (accessed 2026-11-07). catalog snapshot 2026-11-05.

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South Africa: Mobile cellular subscriptions (1960–2024) · Interva