South African mobile network operators are steadily ramping up 5G network deployment, according to a report by market research firm Africa Analysis.
The company’s 2025 SA 5G Report provides an overview of South Africa's rapidly-evolving 5G market, highlighting key trends, subscriber growth, revenue performance and the competitive dynamics shaping the industry.
It says the South African 5G market has entered a dynamic growth phase, with major telecommunications operators, including MTN and Vodacom, leading the expansion of 5G coverage.
According to Africa Analysis, as of December 2024, over 50% of the population had access to 5G networks, marking a milestone in the sector’s development.
In an interview with ITWeb, Andre Wills, director of Africa Analysis, says the market analyst firm projects that 5G population coverage will reach 60% by December 2025 and 13% penetration of the mobile base, up from 9.1% in December 2024.
Africa Analysis adds that by December 2024, South Africa recorded 10.8 million 5G subscribers, comprising mobile 5G and fixed wireless access (FWA) 5G users.
It explains that this represents a substantial increase in adoption, driven primarily by the increasing affordability of 5G-enabled handsets and expanding network coverage.
The report forecasts a significant rise to 42 million 5G subscribers by 2029, with population coverage expected to reach 73%.
The total revenue generated from 5G services in 2024 reached R28.4 billion, with mobile 5G services contributing 76% and FWA services generating 24%.
It points out that Vodacom has emerged as the largest 5G mobile network operator in terms of subscribers and revenue, while Telkom leads the FWA segment.
Meanwhile, it states that Comsol has positioned itself in the private 5G network space, a segment that is still in its early stages of development in South Africa.
Looking ahead, Africa Analysis says the emergence of 5.5G (5G Advanced) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) satellite connectivity is expected to reshape the 5G landscape. 5.5G deployment is projected for private networks from 2026 onwards, while DTC satellite connectivity for voice and text messaging is expected from 2027 onwards.
It notes the introduction of these advancements will further drive connectivity, industry transformation and the overall digital economy.
“The 2025 SA 5G Report illuminates the dynamic evolution of South Africa’s telecommunications landscape,” says Wills.
“The substantial growth observed underscores the industry’s resilience and potential for further expansion. Withincreasing investment and emerging technologies, the 5G ecosystem is poised foreven greater transformation.”
He says 5G technology has delivered faster speeds, reduced congestion and improved mobile connectivity, particularly in urban areas.
“It has been successfully deployed in fixed wireless access (home internet), business connectivity, security surveillance and enhanced mobile streaming. Some industries, like mining and retail, have started leveraging private 5G networks for operational efficiency.”
Wills points out that 5G FWA offers faster speeds than 4G FWA, enabling seamless streaming, faster downloads and improved gaming experiences.
“Users of 5G-enabled smartphones experience significantly faster downloads, better video streaming and lower latency for gaming.”
However, he says 5G-capable smartphones and devices remain expensive for many South Africans.
“With a significant portion of the population still reliant on 3G and 4G, upgrading to 5G is financially unfeasible for many users.
“Many consumers do not yet see a compelling need for 5G, given that existing 4G speeds are sufficient for most applications, like streaming and browsing. The lack of clear 5G-specific use cases limits consumer demand.
“4G has a strong position in the market and the 4G experience is improving, given the usage of the high-demand spectrum allocated through the auction to alleviate spectrum capacity challenges.”
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