• South Africa 5G coverage rises to 58% in 2025
• Rural access lags; some provinces below 15% coverage
• Regulator proposes incentives, sharing to expand rural 5G

South Africa’s 5G population coverage rose to 58% in 2025, up from 46.6% in 2024, according to the country’s telecoms regulator. Despite faster rollout, coverage remains limited, particularly in rural areas, as authorities expand ultra-broadband access through 4G and 5G while phasing out 2G and 3G networks.

According to the 2026 edition of the annual State of the ICT Sector report from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s nine provinces recorded an average rural 5G coverage rate of 30.7% in 2025. The lowest levels were in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, at 7%, 13% and 15% of the population, respectively. Gauteng and Mpumalanga recorded the highest rates, at 74% and 63%.

Disparities persist in urban areas, despite a national average coverage rate of 66%, the regulator said. Gauteng and the Western Cape had the highest coverage, at 89% and 83%, respectively, while the Free State and Northern Cape trailed at 38% and 41%.

Coverage for older technologies remains significantly higher. 3G covered 99.85% of the population in 2025, compared with 99.9% for 4G. In rural areas, all provinces recorded full 3G coverage except the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, at 94% and 97%, respectively. These provinces also had the lowest 4G rural coverage, at 89% and 93%.

Regulator proposes measures to address rural gap

To address the shortfall in rural 5G coverage, the regulator outlined several initiatives, including aligning incentives with deployment obligations, promoting infrastructure sharing, and streamlining authorization procedures to expand next-generation coverage beyond major cities and smaller towns. It also identified 5G as a priority area for workforce retraining.

The measures come as authorities seek to expand ultra-broadband access amid rapid digital transformation. The government aims to phase out legacy technologies in favour of 4G, 5G and future generations, which it considers better able to meet growing demand for high-speed connectivity from public administrations, businesses and individuals.

Authorities had initially set a phased shutdown schedule with a December 2027 deadline. In September 2025, however, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies scrapped the official deadline for operators to switch off 2G and 3G networks. The new approach is intended to ensure a gradual transition that does not exclude users still reliant on older devices.

Smartphone affordability remains a constraint

Access to compatible devices, particularly smartphones, remains the main barrier to adoption of newer mobile technologies. Cost remains a constraint, with handsets still unaffordable for many.

According to ICASA data, entry-level models are available from 399 rand ($23.66), “offering an affordable option for many consumers and making smartphone ownership increasingly accessible across the country.” At the upper end, premium devices cost up to 76,999 rand and incorporate advanced technologies and designs, the regulator said.

ICASA data show that 83.04 million of the 117.3 million mobile subscriptions recorded in 2025 were smartphones, a penetration rate of 70.8%. The figure likely overstates actual ownership, however, as each SIM card is counted as a separate subscription and individuals may hold multiple SIM cards. The same applies to smartphones, which often support dual SIM use.

The World Bank estimates that 67.51% of South Africans aged 15 and older owned a smartphone in 2024.

Isaac K. Kassouwi