South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Public payphones

South Africa
158,000
in 2007
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
383,500
in 2007
South Africa rank
3rd
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank
2nd

Public payphones over time

  • South Africa
  • Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k198519962007

How they compare

Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) currently reports 383,500 against 158,000 in South Africa, a difference of 225,500.

That makes Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s figure about 2.4 times South Africa's.

Across all 14 years both countries report, Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 2nd of 51 countries.

Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) Difference Ahead
1990s 89,957 120,171 30,214 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
2000s 175,102 311,438 136,336 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher public payphones, South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), at 383,500 against 158,000 in South Africa as of 2007.
What is the difference in public payphones between South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
225,500, with Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
14 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2007.
How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for public payphones?
South Africa ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 2nd of 51 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates, published as Public payphones. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Public payphones. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/public-payphones/south-africa/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-high-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Public payphones
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
57 places, 943 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Total number of all types of public telephones, including coin- and card-operated and public telephones in call offices. Publicly available phones installed in private places should also be included, as should mobile public telephones. All public telephones regardless of capability (e.g., local calls or national only) should be counted. If the national definition of "payphone" differs from that above (e.g., by excluding pay phones in private places), then respondents should indicate their own definition.