South Africa climbs up the world mobile data affordability rankings

Photo by Timi David on Unsplash

In May 2020, one gigabyte of mobile data cost R88, according to UK price comparison website Cable.co.uk. By the end of the year, the price had dropped to R39 with South Africa cheaper than developed countries such as the US, Canada and New Zealand. SA’s mobile data cost is now on par with Germany and Japan.

South African mobile data still has some way to go before becoming a contender for the top spot in affordability which is currently occupied by Israel where a gig of data costs just five US cents.

Initiatives by the Competition Commission and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to reduce the cost to communicate are bearing fruit and further mobile data price reductions can be expected as progress continues with the assignment of spectrum suitable for mobile data services.

The current pandemic has demonstrated that remote access to affordable high-speed data boosts the real-world quality of life and underscores the gap between the connectivity-haves and connectivity-have-nots.

"Cheaper mobile data is opening up a lot of opportunities for African mobile gamers to compete at a world-class level. Ekasi Esports is excited to see what the future holds for the African mobile gaming and competitive esports scene," says Perfect Zikhali, creative director for Ekasi Esports.