Botswana vs South Africa: Telephone mainlines

Botswana
73.66 per 1,000 people
in 2011
South Africa
81.58 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Botswana rank
10th
South Africa rank
9th

Telephone mainlines over time

  • Botswana
  • South Africa
050100150196019852011

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 81.58 per 1,000 people against 73.66 per 1,000 people in Botswana, a difference of 7.92 per 1,000 people.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Botswana's.

Across all 40 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Botswana ranks 10th and South Africa ranks 9th of 53 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Botswana South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 1.39 per 1,000 people 37.72 per 1,000 people 36.33 per 1,000 people South Africa
1970s 5.69 per 1,000 people 49.44 per 1,000 people 43.75 per 1,000 people South Africa
1980s 10.07 per 1,000 people 73.72 per 1,000 people 63.65 per 1,000 people South Africa
1990s 39.38 per 1,000 people 104.99 per 1,000 people 65.61 per 1,000 people South Africa
2000s 74.06 per 1,000 people 100.69 per 1,000 people 26.63 per 1,000 people South Africa
2010s 71.07 per 1,000 people 83.05 per 1,000 people 11.98 per 1,000 people South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher telephone mainlines, Botswana or South Africa?
South Africa, at 81.58 per 1,000 people against 73.66 per 1,000 people in Botswana as of 2011.
What is the difference in telephone mainlines between Botswana and South Africa?
7.92 per 1,000 people, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for telephone mainlines?
Botswana ranks 10th and South Africa ranks 9th of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates, published as Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Botswana vs South Africa: Telephone mainlines. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/telephone-mainlines-per-1-000-people/botswana/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Telephone mainlines (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, 2,199 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Telephone mainlines are fixed telephone lines connecting a subscriber to the telephone exchange equipment.