South Africa Mobile Quality Report

Introduction

The South African mobile market is mainly comprised of four mobile network operators (MNOs): Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C. Recently, Cell C has started a transformative market strategy. Instead of continuing to expand its own network, Cell C has chosen to enter a partnership with other MNOs to provide mobile connectivity. As a result, Cell C has reduced its operating costs and increased the coverage for its customers. Therefore, this report will focus on the other three carriers: Vodacom, MTN, and Telkom. The network situation for these MNOs acts as a trustworthy barometer of the network situation in the country. A good knowledge of the network situation also allows the customers to perform fully informed decisions.

The objective of this report is to provide a summary of the network situation in South Africa for these three carriers.

This report provides a quick overview of the network situation based on the following KPIs:

• Disconnection time: time that the users of an MNO have had only emergency coverage or no coverage in average, in minutes.
• 4G and 5G time: time that the users of an MNO have had 4G and, if deployed, 5G coverage (including 5G NSA and 5G SA).
• 5G penetration and usage: percentage of users that have 5G connectivity, percentage of time in 5G and percentage of active usage of 5G.
• Network status in the Common Coverage Area: an analysis of the network status, based on the signal strength and the signal quality, for the areas where all three MNOs provide coverage.
• Call technology usage: percentage of use of each call technology by MNO. This shows which technologies are mainly used by the customers.
• Mobile network latency: percentage of customers on different latency ranks. The ranks are selected according to several performance thresholds.

Summary

The data collected by Weplan Analytics shows that, overall, the three main mobile network carriers have a good network situation in South Africa. However, there are some differences between them.

Regarding connectivity, the three MNOs have low disconnection times, with Telkom, Vodacom and MTN users having around 10, 11 and 14 daily minutes of disconnection, respectively. Furthermore, all three carriers provide 4G or 5G coverage more than 95% of the time.

Regarding 5G penetration and usage, none of the carriers have more than 18% of their customers utilizing 5G technology. Vodacom leads with 18% of its customers using 5G, followed by MTN at 14%. In contrast, Telkom has a smaller proportion of 5G users, at only 2%. Regarding the percentage of 5G coverage time, MTN and Vodacom show similar 5G coverage time with 43% and 41% of the time, respectively. In contrast, Telkom is further away with 27% of the time. Nevertheless, all three carriers exhibit comparable actual 5G usage times. Both MTN and Telkom with 8% of the time, closely followed by Vodacom with 6% of the time.

Regarding the mobile network situation, the three carriers offer good coverage in the country, with Telkom and MTN slightly outperforming. Regarding areas of good or very good measurements, Telkom shows the highest value (33%), followed by MTN (26%) and Vodacom (22%).

Regarding call types, VoLTE technology is the most used, accounting for more than 70% of calls in all three carriers. Furthermore, MTN users also utilize 3G technology and CSFB 3G, while Telkom users also employ VoWiFi. However, the usage of these alternative technologies is less frequent across all cases.

Finally, regarding latency, all three carriers show similar values. MTN leads with 59% of its measurements classified as excellent, closely followed by Telkom and Vodacom, each with 57%.

The main key figures are as follows:

• The main carriers in South Africa (Vodacom, MTN, and Telkom) offer 4G and 5G coverage at least 95% of the time.
• In South Africa, 5G technology is not yet predominant. Among the analyzed carriers, between 18% and 2% of customers are 5G customers (i.e., customers who have a device compatible with 5G technology) and can access it. MTN and Vodacom offer the highest 5G coverage time, at 43% and 41% of the time, respectively. In contrast, Telkom offers 5G coverage only 27% of the time. However, the actual 5G usage time is similar across the three carriers.
• The overall network situation (encompassing 4G and 5G technologies) is generally favorable across the country. Furthermore, Telkom records the highest number of measurements classified as good or very good (47%), followed by MTN (42%) and Vodacom (37%).
• In South Africa, calls are primarily made using VoLTE technology, being used more than 70% of the time.
• At least 87% of all carriers' measurements have a good enough latency for a decent experience across all possible usage types.

Methodology

In the following pages an in-depth description of each analyzed KPI can be found, including the methodology and rationale behind them. At a more general level, the following paragraph describes the data collection methodology.

At a more general level, Weplan Analytics collects crowdsourced data from more than 200 million devices in 31 countries. For this analysis, 1500 million measurements collected between February 2024 and April 2024 were used. The following map shows the density of measurements taken throughout the country by Weplan Analytics.

The most relevant insights can be found in the Summary section above. A detailed account of each one comprises the rest of the report below.

In this report, we have analyzed the network of each carrier, regardless of the SIM that has connected. This means our focus is on the network itself, rather than the identity of the SIM card provider. This approach allows us to gain a more accurate and direct view of the quality and performance of each carrier's network.

More details about the methodology can be found here.

Connectivity

Connectivity: Daily disconnection time

The following graphic shows the disconnection time as the average number of minutes that each customer of each MNO experiences disconnections throughout the day. Disconnection time includes moments when a customer has no coverage at all (for example in underground parkings, inside elevators, so far away from a site that connection is not possible…) or moments when a customer only has emergency coverage, that is, the ability to perform only emergency calls. This disconnected time may (and, in most cases, will) be discontinuous, and is the average of the daily disconnection time for all users.

Among the South African MNOs under consideration, Telkom leads in terms of connectivity, with an average disconnection time of only 10 minutes per day. Vodacom closely follows with an average daily disconnection time of 11 minutes per day. Conversely, MTN has worse connectivity with an average daily disconnection time of 14 minutes per day.

Connectivity: 4G and 5G time

With the advent of the newer 5G technology older technologies such as 2G and 3G are being turned off to free frequencies. This is because frequencies are limited, so it is necessary to turn off the old ones in order for the new ones to occupy those frequencies. Thus, guaranteeing at least a proper 4G coverage is one of the main goals of MNOs, and for those who already have 4G sorted out, the focus turns to 5G.

Regarding 4G and 5G connectivity, the situation is similar among the three MNOs. Telkom provides coverage for these technologies 97% of the time, while Vodacom and MTN offer coverage 96% and 95% of the time, respectively.

5G penetration and usage

Vodacom launched its 5G network in May 2020, being the first network in Africa to support both mobile and fixed wireless services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MTN deployed its first 5G services. Further expanding the 5G landscape, Telkom launched its own 5G network in October 2022.

The ability of a customer to use the 5G network depends on several factors. First, their device must be 5G compatible. Second, the MNO must have a 5G network. Finally, the client must contract a mobile plan that allows the 5G to be used, as not all MNOs offer full access to the 5G network as part of the regular plans.

The following charts show the percentage of users by MNO that have 5G access and, for those who do, the percentage of time that they are under 5G coverage. To establish whether a user is a 5G client or not, their 5G connectivity has been checked:if they have connected to the 5G network at least once, they are considered 5G clients.

Percentage of 5G users by carrier

In South Africa, the three MNOs under analysis provide 5G network services. However, there are notable differences between carriers. Vodacom shows the largest share of 5G clients, accounting for 18% of its user. MTN follows with 14% of users with access to 5G. In contrast, Telkom has the smallest proportion of 5G clients, representing a mere 2% of its total users.

Percentage of time spent under 5G coverage for 5G clients by carrier in South Africa

Similar to the distribution of 5G clients, there are notable differences among carriers in terms of 5G coverage time. MTN leads offering 5G coverage 43% of the time, closely followed by Vodacom providing 5G coverage 41% of the time. Conversely, Telkom only offers 5G coverage 27% of the time.

Percentage of actual 5G usage time for 5G users

Upon establishing a connection to the 5G network, a user has the option to connect via a Stand Alone (5G SA, pure 5G) or a Non Stand Alone (5G NSA, 5G network supported by the LTE - 4G - network) connection.

In the case of the 5G NSA network, the choice of usage of the LTE part or also the 5G part is primarily due to the network’s usage and capacity. The 5G network is prioritized for data-intensive applications (e.g., streaming, video calls, video games, etc.), while the LTE network is reserved for less demanding uses (e.g., messaging, low-consumption web browsing, etc.). However, in both cases the device is indicating a 5G connection.

When focusing on the actual usage time of the available 5G network for each user, all carriers exhibit comparable average times. Users of both MTN and Telkom utilize the 5G network 8% of the time, while Vodacom users closely follow, using the 5G network 6% of the time.

4G and 5G network status

There are two main network performance indicators: signal strength and signal quality. Each technology has its own measurements, but five great categories can be established:

• Very Good: The performance of all network usages will be excellent.
• Good: The performance of all network usages may present occasional difficulties but is overall good.
• Fair: Most network-dependent usages (such as calls or data usage) will have a decent or better performance.
• Degraded: Network usage will be unstable and unreliable but allows for basic usage such as calls with acceptable quality and very slow data transfer.
• Very Degraded: Network usage different from emergency calls is near impossible.

There are two ways to establish this value: looking at the percentage of area and looking at the percentage of measurements on each category. Most measurements take place in urban areas, where coverage is better, but in most countries most of the area is not urban, so the percentage of area with a problematic network situation may be different to the percentage of measurements with a problematic network situation.

To ensure a fair comparison between carriers only areas where all MNOs have data have been analyzed. Also, as most connections are made in 4G and 5G, only those technologies have been considered. The frequencies used, the total bandwidth per band, the number of clients and the assigned band for each MNO are very influential factors in these results.

The overall network situation in the common coverage area in South Africa, area-wise, is generally positive. Telkom and MTN present the best result with 77% and 76% of the area with fair or better coverage, respectively. Vodacom presents 66% of the area with fair or better coverage.

Regarding areas with good or very good network coverage, Telkom shows the highest value with 33% of the area. On the other hand, MTN and Vodacom cover a smaller proportion of the area with good or very good network coverage, with 26% and 22% of the area, respectively.

Measurement-wise the general network situation is also good. Telkom is the carrier with the most favorable results, with 77% of measurements being fair or better. It is followed by MTN with 71% of measurements being fair or better. Vodacom, however, records a lower number of measurements being fair or better, with 66%. If we only focus on good and very good measurements, the same order applies with Telkom at 47%, followed by MTN at 42% and then Vodacom at 37%.

Call type percentage

While 2G and 3G technologies permit data usage, the advent of 4G and 5G technologies has largely relegated them to call usage. The launch of South Africa’s first commercially available Voice over LTE (VoLTE) network by Vodacom in 2015, signaled the beginning of a transition away from these legacy technologies. Moreover, the South African Department of Communications and Digital Transformation set the deadline for the discontinuation of the country’s 2G and 3G networks (2G/3G sunset) for 31 December 2027, starting on 1 June 2025.

However, not all customers can benefit from VoLTE calls. For a customer to use this technology several conditions must be met:

1. Their MNO must provide 4G and VoLTE.
2. They must have a phone capable of performing VoLTE calls.
3. They must have a phone rate that includes VoLTE calls.
4. Their phone must be homologated by the MNO and the manufacturer to perform VoLTE calls.

The fourth condition means that a customer, without changing their phone, can have VoLTE with one MNO but lack it with a different MNO. When a customer connected to 4G without VoLTE capabilities (for any reason) tries to perform a call, a hand-off process to the 2G or 3G network takes place. This process, depending on the method applied, is called CSFB (the most common one) or SRVCC. Aside from those technologies, VoWiFi (Voice over Wi-Fi) is also used when a Wi-Fi network is available.

In South Africa, VoLTE technology is predominantly used by customers across all three MNOs. Customers of Vodacom exhibit the highest usage of VoLTE, accounting for 86% of all calls. This is followed by Telkom and MTN customers, with VoLTE usage constituting 75% and 70% of all calls, respectively.

In terms of alternative technologies, it is noteworthy that 3G technology is employed by 11% of MTN’s customers, while its usage averages at half that rate among customers of the other two carriers. Furthermore, 16% of MTN’s customers utilize CSFB 3G technology, compared to only 9% and 6% of Telkom and Vodacom customers, respectively. Lastly, VoWiFi technology is used by 10% of Telkom customers. In contrast, its usage among customers of the other carriers is anecdotal.

Latency status

Latency is the measurement of how much time it takes for the information to be transmitted between the user and the network. A lower latency means a faster, smoother network experience, whereas a higher latency means that the network experience will not be as good, or even unusable. This makes latency a good indicator of user experience. We have divided latency in four great groups:

• Excellent latency translates to a very smooth user experience, even with the most data-intensive usage, such as gaming or 4K streaming.
• Good latency translates to a good user experience, although gaming may not be as fluid and 4K may present occasional problems.
• Degraded latency translates to a mediocre user experience. Gaming and 4K are either uncomfortable or impossible, videochat may present noticeable lag and messaging with multimedia may take a long time to load.
• Bad latency translates to an essentially unusable network. Only the lightest usage, such as sending messages without multimedia, works decently.

All three MNOs present a similar latency situation, with a minimum of 87% of their measurements being good or excellent. Vodacom has 89% of its measurements classified as at least good, closely followed by MTN and Telkom with 88% and 87%, respectively.

Regarding the percentage of measurements with excellent latency, MTN leads with 59% of its measurements with excellent latency. Telkom and Vodacom are tied, each with 57% of their measurements classified as excellent.