Business & Markets · Fixed broadband subscriptions · South Africa
South Africa’s fixed broadband subscriptions rose to 5.3 per 100 people in 2024.
5.3 per 100 people
2024
Up 1.9 per 100 people from 2023.
Updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
5.3 per 100 people
What it is. This measure counts fixed broadband connections, such as fibre, DSL and fixed wireless, for every 100 residents. It counts subscriptions rather than users, so one household connection shared by several people counts once, and a business with several lines counts several times. Mobile data plans are left out, which matters in a country where most people go online by phone.
Higher is better. A higher figure means more fixed lines are in use, which usually brings faster and steadier connections and more room for remote work, study and online services. The latest figure, 5.3 per 100 people in 2024, is up from 3.4 per 100 people a year earlier, a rise of 57%. It is also the highest reading since 2015, well above the low of 1.9 per 100 people in 2018.
Why it matters. At 5.3 per 100 people, fixed broadband still reaches only a small share of South Africans, so most households depend on mobile data, which tends to cost more per gigabyte and can be less reliable for video calls or large downloads. Firms and schools in areas with fibre gain the most, while the state has more room to move services online as lines spread. The sharp rise over the last year suggests that fibre rollout is beginning to reach more homes.
| Period | Fixed broadband subscriptions · South Africa |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.5 per 100 people |
| 2016 | 2 per 100 people |
| 2017 | 1.9 per 100 people |
| 2018 | 1.9 per 100 people |
| 2019 | 2.1 per 100 people |
| 2020 | 2.2 per 100 people |
| 2021 | 2.8 per 100 people |
| 2022 | 3.1 per 100 people |
| 2023 | 3.4 per 100 people |
| 2024 | 5.3 per 100 people |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Fixed broadband subscriptions, South Africa, 2024; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/business/fixed-broadband/south-africa
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
Strata AI commentary is coming — reviewed, dated, and generated only from the figures on this page.
Methodology
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. Unit: per 100 people.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series IT.NET.BBND.P2), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.