Data prices falling in South Africa

The average price of 1GB of data has fallen considerably since 2019, with a price reduction of roughly 67% between 2019 and 2023.

This is according to data from Cable.co.uk. The firm analyses mobile data plans from hundreds of nations worldwide to rank them according to the average price of 1GB of data.

Its latest report, published in September 2024, revealed that South Africa ranked 149th out of 236 countries analysed. It analysed plans from June to September 2023.

At the time, the average price of 1GB of data in South Africa was $1.81 (then R34.28).

Although South Africa ranked among the more expensive countries for mobile data, residents are far better off than in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe had the highest price per 1GB of data of all countries in the report. The average price of 1GB of data in Zimbabwe was $43.75 (R802.82), roughly 24 times the price paid in South Africa.

In comparison, Israel had the most affordable 1GB mobile data price at $0.02 (then R0.37).

While South Africa placed on the higher end of the price scale, the average price of 1GB of data has plummeted since 2019.

MyBroadband compared Cable.co.uk’s average 1GB mobile data analyses from 2019 to 2023 and found that prices had reduced by nearly 67% over the five years.

Its 2019 report analysed prices across over 6,000 mobile plans worldwide between 23 October and 28 November 2018.

The average price of 1GB of mobile data in South Africa was $7.19 (then R102.82).

Prices dropped considerably between November 2018 and February 2020, when Cable.co.uk’s data revealed the average price in South Africa was $4.29 (then R67.18) per GB.

Another significant price drop was seen between February 2020 and March 2021. Cable.co.uk’s 2021 report revealed that the average price of 1GB of data had dropped to $2.67 (then R14.47).

While the average dollar price has dropped significantly since 2021, from $2.67 to $1.81 per GB, the rand weakened substantially between 2021 and 2023.

This meant that the average price in rands wasn’t much lower in 2023 than in 2022 and 2021.

For reference, the dollar price dropped to $2.04 (then R35.01) in 2022 and $1.81 (then R34.28) in 2023.

The chart below tracks the average price of 1GB of mobile data in South Africa from 2019 to 2023 using Cable.co.uk’s price data.

Data prices must fall — Malatsi

In July 2024, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi stated that the country must work to reduce the cost of data so it doesn’t prohibit residents from accessing the Internet. Specifically, he said data should not be a burdensome expense.

He said this would also increase Internet accessibility in South Africa, adding that a high-priority aspect of his vision for the communications and digital technologies portfolio was to create reliable Internet access in the country.

“My interest is that once there is access, that access is dependable,” the minister said.

He explained that data prices must come down, highlighting the fact that affordability inhibits most South Africa’s ability to access the Internet regularly.

Data from StatsSA’s 2023 household survey shows that the majority of the country has access to the Internet, with roughly 14.5% of residents having fixed access and 78.6% having access through mobile networks.

However, while most of the country can access the Internet, affordability can prevent residents from doing so regularly.

A resident may be in the range of a cellular tower providing a data connection, but they must have a positive data balance to access the Internet.

In addition to decreasing the cost of data, Malatsi has also prioritised connecting all government facilities, including schools, to the Internet.