Internet Users: South Africa

Analysis# South Africa Internet Users South Africa's internet penetration reached 78.358% of the population in 2024, matching its all-time peak. This represents a dramatic transformation from 1990, when internet access was essentially nonexistent at 0% of the population. Over 34 years, the country has built digital infrastructure that now connects more than three-quarters of its citizens to the internet. Acceleration marked the 2015–2020 period, when internet users jumped from 51.919% to 72.113%—a gain of 20 percentage points in just five years. Growth has since stabilized, with adoption increasing only marginally from 2020 onward (72.113% to 78.358%). The plateau suggests South Africa is approaching saturation in internet accessibility, with further expansion likely dependent on addressing infrastructure gaps in underserved regions and reducing connectivity costs for lower-income populations.