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Insight Prysmian Magazine

Internet for 80% of South Africa’s population by 2024

Last year, NEXST ran a two-part feature explaining how fibre is becoming South Africa’s broadband solution of choice, although rural connectivity is lagging. Recently, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed performance agreements with cabinet ministers based on targets contained in the country’s medium-term strategic framework (MTSF).

Browne / ITU Pictures / cc-by-2.0
Browne / ITU Pictures / cc-by-2.0

Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has been tasked with ensuring 80 percent of the population have access to the internet by 2024. This is currently at 56.3 percent according to Statista. The performance agreement does not indicate how this target is to be met, or which Internet speeds should become available.

The Communications Minister will also be issuing a policy direction for 5G by December of this year. Her focus is on ensuring the cost of mobile data is cut by 50 percent.

Stats SA’s General Household Survey indicates that mobile devices are the most common method of internet access. However, according to Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) South Africa is one of 57 countries that does not yet meet the UN Broadband Commission’s affordability threshold: 1GB data for less than 2% of average monthly income. In SA, 1GB of mobile data averages roughly 2.17% of average monthly income.

 

Ndabeni-Abrahams will also be working to ensure South Africa is one of Africa’s top ten countries for gigabyte data pricing by 2024. Furthermore, the country’s Electronic Communications Act will be amended to address competition issues. Another of Ndabeni-Abrahams' responsibilities will be to revise current pricing methodology to include direct regulation of retail prices. South Africans have been complaining about elevated data pricing using the #DataMustFall hashtag since 2016. South Africa’s Competition Commission and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) have both initiated inquiries into data pricing.

Targets from the South Africa government performance agreement

  • 80% of the population must have access to the internet by 2024
  • 5G policy direction to be issued by December 2021
  • Reduction in the cost of data
  • Monitoring of Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ensuring the regulator is adequately resourced to license 4G spectrum
  • Repositioning of State Information Technology Agency (SITA) to drive use of local technologies