Mobile Market - Technology and Media Industry in South Africa

Jul 2, 2015 – Navi Mumbai, India: Marketreportsonsouthafrica.com presents a report on “Mobile Market - Technology and Media Industry in South Africa”. They have also branched out into providing fixed services, fibre backbone networks, and international fibre connectivity.

South Africa's vibrant mobile market has seen rapid growth since competition was introduced to (http://www.marketreportsonsouthafrica.com/technology-media-market-research-reports-615/south-africa-mobile-statistics-analysis.html) the sector in the 1990s. SIM card penetration by early 2015 was above 150%, driven by the popularity of multiple card use, often for business and personal use but also for having separate subscriptions for voice and mobile broadband services. This trend followed in the wake of the launch of third generation (3G) and LTE services.

Mobile broadband rivals DSL fixed-line offerings in terms of both speed and price, and as a consequence it has outpaced DSL in terms of subscriber numbers.

While the major mobile operators have become the country's leading broadband providers, they have also branched out into providing fixed services, fibre backbone networks, international fibre connectivity, mobile banking and mobile entertainment in a rapidly converging environment. The fixed-line incumbent Telkom has reacted to these market dynamics by launching its own mobile network.

The network operators are increasingly forced to find innovative ways of distinguishing themselves from competitors in order to acquire and retain customers, and to streamline their operations. There has been speculation about mergers and acquisitions among the smaller players, and major infrastructure sharing deals have been concluded. Several Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) have entered the market, adding to the competitive mix.

Key developments:

Nashua Mobile winds down, sells subscriber base to Vodacom and MTN; Vodacom launches VoLTE services; Afrihost launches fixed-wireless LTE...