Most popular web browsers in South Africa
Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in South Africa, with a market share of over 70%.
This is according to GlobalStats Statcounter data for device-independent market share, which shows that the next most popular is Apple’s Safari browser, which has a market share of just over 13%.
The data analytics company analyses over 5 billion monthly page views of around 1.5 million websites to determine the leading brands and vendors in various industries and regions.
In South Africa, the overall browser market share is dominated by Chrome, with browsers like Safari, Samsung Internet, Opera, and Microsoft Edge lagging far behind it.
Google’s browser holds 70.10% of the South African market share, with Safari, Samsung Internet, and Microsoft holding 13.06%, 8.33%, and 3.93%, respectively.
Microsoft Edge has a 2.43% share of the South African market, with Firefox, UC Browser, and Internet Explorer taking spots lower down the table with shares of 1.29%, 0.52%, and 0.08%.
The chart below summarises the South African browser market share. A breakdown of the desktop and mobile market shares is summarised at the end of the article.
Overall Internet browser market share in South Africa. Data: GlobalStats Statcounter
Apple’s Safari browser stats in the overall segment are boosted significantly by its share in South Africa’s mobile market.
In this segment, it holds a share of almost 15%, while its desktop market share is significantly lower at 5.76%.
On the other hand, Chrome’s overall share is pulled down significantly by its smartphone market share. The Google-developed browser holds almost 77% of the desktop market share, while its mobile share sits around 68%.
The fact that Samsung Internet holds third place in the overall market share segment is impressive as it is exclusively a mobile-based browser.
It also shows the dominance of mobile devices in South Africa.
Google and, to a lesser extent, Samsung Internet’s high South African mobile market share shares aren’t surprising.
Samsung dominates the smartphone market in the country, likely due to its broad range of budget to mid-range smartphones.
The company’s smartphones accounted for 49.07% of views in the mobile vendor segment in South Africa in January 2023 — a slight increase from 48.04% in January 2022.
The smartphones sold by Samsung come pre-installed with Google Chrome and Samsung Internet.
While the same can be said for Apple and Safari, the Cupertino-based tech company has a far smaller share of the mobile market in South Africa.
Internet browser market shares in South Africa, according to GlobalStats Statcounter data, are provided in the table below.
The “Unknown/Other” browser section includes what GlobalStats Statcounter called an “Android” browser.
| Overall browser market share in South Africa | |
|---|---|
| Browser | Market share |
| Chrome | 70.10% |
| Safari | 13.06% |
| Samsung Internet | 8.33% |
| Opera | 3.93% |
| Edge | 2.43% |
| Firefox | 1.29% |
| UC Browser | 0.52% |
| Internet Explorer | 0.08% |
| Unknown/Other | 0.26% |
| Desktop browser market share in South Africa | |
| Chrome | 76.68% |
| Edge | 10.96% |
| Safari | 5.76% |
| Firefox | 3.71% |
| Opera | 2.06% |
| Internet Explorer | 0.38% |
| Other | 0.45% |
| Mobile browser market share in South Africa | |
| Chrome | 68.41% |
| Safari | 14.85% |
| Samsung Internet | 10.76% |
| Opera | 4.45% |
| UC Browser | 0.66% |
| Firefox | 0.65% |
| Microsoft Edge | 0.11% |
| Unknown/Other | 0.11% |
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