Africa vs South Africa: Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony

Africa
84.8%
in 2011
South Africa
99.8%
in 2007
Africa rank
2nd
South Africa rank
4th

Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony over time

  • Africa
  • South Africa
020406080100199120012011

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 99.8% against 84.8% in Africa, a difference of 15.0%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Africa's.

Across all 12 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

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

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Africa South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 29.0% 80.0% 51.0% South Africa
2000s 57.2% 95.6% 38.4% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population coverage of mobile cellular telephony, Africa or South Africa?
South Africa, at 99.8% against 84.8% in Africa as of 2007.
What is the difference in population coverage of mobile cellular telephony between Africa and South Africa?
15.0%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Africa and South Africa?
12 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2007.
How do Africa and South Africa rank globally for population coverage of mobile cellular telephony?
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 Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Africa vs South Africa: Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/population-coverage-of-mobile-cellular-telephony-percent/africa/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony (%)
Unit
%
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
46 places, 484 data points, 1991–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Percentage of population covered by mobile cellular telephony refers to the percentage of a country’s inhabitants that live within areas served by a mobile cellular signal, irrespective of whether or not they choose to use it. This should not be confused with the percentage of the land area covered by a mobile cellular signal or the percentage of the population that subscribe to mobile cellular service. Note that this measures the theoretical ability to use mobile cellular services if one has a cellular telephone and a subscription.