Technology30.03.2014

SA prices from 2004 to 2014: broadband vs petrol vs DStv vs Big Mac

By Staff Writer

Over the last ten years the price of ADSL and mobile data products plummeted, but the price of petrol, DStv and Big Macs increased significantly.

When Vodacom launched its first 3G products in December 2004 the company charged R1,198 for a 2GB data package. Ten years later the price for a 2GB package is R99.

The price drop in ADSL data is even more significant. In 2004 South Africans were paying R73 per GB from Telkom. Today the consumers can pay as little as R2 per GB.

ADSL speeds also increased by leaps and bounds over the last decade. In 2004 ADSL users paid R680 per month for a 512kbps service (excluding line rental and data). Fast forward ten years and users can purchase a 40Mbps VDSL service for R795 per month.

Unfortunately not all products were able to fight inflation as time moved on. South Africans are now paying far more for petrol, DStv, and food than they did in 2004.

The following table provides an overview of how prices changed for various products between 2004 and 2014.

SA price changes – 2004 to 2014
Service	2004	2014	Change
Telkom ADSL
Telkom line rental	R81.90	R157.00	92% increase
Telkom ADSL price/Mbps	R1,360.00	R20.00	99% decline
ADSL 1GB data	R73.00	R2.00	97% decline
Vodacom mobile data
Vodacom 2GB mobile data	R1,198.00	R99.00	92% decline
MultiChoice DStv
DStv premium bouquet	R379.00	R665.00	75% increase
Petrol
Petrol per litre	R4.17	R14.11	238% increase
Big Mac
Macdonald’s Big Mac burger	R12.40	R23.50	90% increase

Telkom ADSL

In 2004, a 512kbps ADSL service from Telkom cost R680 – this equates to R1,380 per Mbps. In 2014, a 40Mbps service is priced at R795 per month, or R20 per Mbps.

Telkom ADSL

ADSL data

In 2004, a 3GB ISP account from Telkom was priced at R219 per month, which translates into R73 per GB. This price fell significantly over the years, and consumers can now buy a 100GB account from Afrihost at R199 (hence less than R2 per GB).

ADSL data prices

Vodacom mobile data

When Vodacom launched its first 3G products in December 2004, the price for a 2GB data package was R1,198 per month. The current price for a 2GB data bundle is R99.

Vodacom mobile data prices

MultiChoice DStv

In April 2004 the price of a premium DStv package was R379 per month. This price increased to the current R665. It should be noted that the current DStv premium package offers far more than the service in 2004, including more channels, better sports coverage and HD channels.