Landline Internet subscriptions in South Africa
South Africa: Landline Internet subscriptions was 3.42 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Landline Internet subscriptions in South Africa, 2002–2024
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for landline internet subscriptions in South Africa is 3.42 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is up 59.0% on the previous year and up 100.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, landline internet subscriptions in South Africa peaked at 3.42 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2,669, in 2002.
That places South Africa 47th out of 206 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Landline Internet subscriptions in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2,669 | — |
| 2003 | 20,313 | +661.1% |
| 2004 | 60,000 | +195.4% |
| 2005 | 165,290 | +175.5% |
| 2006 | 335,112 | +102.7% |
| 2007 | 378,000 | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 426,000 | +12.7% |
| 2009 | 481,000 | +12.9% |
| 2010 | 743,000 | +54.5% |
| 2011 | 907,000 | +22.1% |
| 2012 | 1.11 million | +22.1% |
| 2013 | 1.62 million | +45.9% |
| 2014 | 1.71 million | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 1.41 million | -17.4% |
| 2016 | 1.15 million | -18.3% |
| 2017 | 1.12 million | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 1.11 million | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 1.25 million | +12.9% |
| 2020 | 1.30 million | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 1.69 million | +30.1% |
| 2022 | 1.95 million | +15.0% |
| 2023 | 2.15 million | +10.5% |
| 2024 | 3.42 million | +59.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.42 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 846,276, 4.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.42 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 49,177, 69.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Landline Internet subscriptions 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +661.1% | 2,669 | 20,313 |
| 2004 | +195.4% | 20,313 | 60,000 |
| 2005 | +175.5% | 60,000 | 165,290 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 233,548 | 2,669 | 481,000 | 8 |
| 2010s | 1.21 million | 743,000 | 1.71 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.10 million | 1.30 million | 3.42 million | 5 |
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 landline internet subscriptions in South Africa?
- Landline internet subscriptions in South Africa was 3.42 million in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest landline internet subscriptions recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.42 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest landline internet subscriptions recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,669 in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for landline internet subscriptions?
- South Africa ranks 47th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is landline internet subscriptions rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.6%. 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 (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Landline Internet subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Subscriptions to fixed access to the public Internet with a download speed of at least 256 kbit/s.