Africa vs South Africa: Mobile phone subscribers

Africa
623.58 per 1,000 people
in 2011
South Africa
1,265 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Africa rank
2nd
South Africa rank
4th

Mobile phone subscribers over time

  • Africa
  • South Africa
05001.0k1.5k196019852011

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1,265 per 1,000 people against 623.58 per 1,000 people in Africa, a difference of 641.42 per 1,000 people.

That makes South Africa's figure about 2.0 times Africa's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 40 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.

Africa ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 4th of 6 groups.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Africa South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people
1970s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people
1980s 0.0026 per 1,000 people 0.0115 per 1,000 people 0.009 per 1,000 people South Africa
1990s 2.13 per 1,000 people 29.35 per 1,000 people 27.22 per 1,000 people South Africa
2000s 174.96 per 1,000 people 583.36 per 1,000 people 408.4 per 1,000 people South Africa
2010s 580.99 per 1,000 people 1,136 per 1,000 people 555.4 per 1,000 people South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher mobile phone subscribers, Africa or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1,265 per 1,000 people against 623.58 per 1,000 people in Africa as of 2011.
What is the difference in mobile phone subscribers between Africa and South Africa?
641.42 per 1,000 people, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Africa and South Africa?
40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
How do Africa and South Africa rank globally for mobile phone subscribers?
Africa ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 4th of 6 groups.
Where does this data come from?
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates, published as Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Africa vs South Africa: Mobile phone subscribers. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/africa/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people)
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
59 places, 2,350 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Mobile telephone subscribers are subscribers to a public mobile telephone service using cellular technology.