Internet users in South Africa
South Africa: Internet users was 10.60 million in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Internet users in South Africa, 1990–2011
Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 10.60 million for internet users in 2011. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.4% on the previous year and up 267.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, internet users in South Africa peaked at 10.60 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1990.
That places South Africa 5th out of 53 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Internet users in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 5,007 | — |
| 1992 | 15,020 | +200.0% |
| 1993 | 45,055 | +200.0% |
| 1994 | 100,101 | +122.2% |
| 1995 | 280,187 | +179.9% |
| 1996 | 355,070 | +26.7% |
| 1997 | 699,733 | +97.1% |
| 1998 | 1.26 million | +80.7% |
| 1999 | 1.82 million | +43.7% |
| 2000 | 2.39 million | +31.8% |
| 2001 | 2.88 million | +20.3% |
| 2002 | 3.09 million | +7.2% |
| 2003 | 3.27 million | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 3.98 million | +21.8% |
| 2005 | 3.58 million | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 3.68 million | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 3.94 million | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 4.16 million | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 4.98 million | +19.7% |
| 2010 | 9.02 million | +81.4% |
| 2011 | 10.60 million | +17.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 10.60 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 308,420, 34.4× the median. (8 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 10.60 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 316,791, 33.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Internet users in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +200.0% | 5,007 | 15,020 |
| 1993 | +200.0% | 15,020 | 45,055 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 458,165 | 0 | 1.82 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.59 million | 2.39 million | 4.98 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.81 million | 9.02 million | 10.60 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More science & technology data for South Africa
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 179.34 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 89.37 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 4.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.88 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 14,949 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is internet users in South Africa?
- Internet users in South Africa was 10.60 million in 2011, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.
- What is the highest internet users recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.60 million in 2011.
- What is the lowest internet users recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for internet users?
- South Africa ranks 5th out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is internet users rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 267.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, published as part of Internet users. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Internet users are people with access to the worldwide network.