Mobile data prices in South Africa vs 236 countries

The price of 1GB of mobile data in South Africa is more expensive than in most countries, the latest comparison by Cable.co.uk shows.

The UK-based broadband and mobile price comparison site analysed mobile data costs across 5,600 plans in 237 countries between June and September 2023.

Only nine countries were not included in the comparison — including Bulgaria, which only offers uncapped data, and North Korea, which does not have any providers.

Cable.co.uk’s researchers determined that four elements contributed most to a country’s mobile data pricing:

• Excellent infrastructure — Long-established, ubiquitous 4G or new 5G infrastructure typically results in better prices.
• Heavy mobile reliance — Where fixed-line broadband is scarce, a saturated mobile market often leads to many competitors. Coupled with low average wages, mobile data can be exceptionally cheap.
• Small consumption — Where basic or overburdened infrastructure is a factor, data tends to be very expensive, leading to a limited-use culture with small bundles that work out to be very expensive when multiplied to reach 1GB.
• Wealthy economy — With a good balance of infrastructure and high wages, prices in countries with healthy economies tend to trend towards the global average.

With an average price of $1.81 (R33.21) for 1GB of data across 46 plans, South Africa ranked as the 149th most affordable country overall — or 89th most expensive.

The cheapest 1GB mobile data plan Cable.co.uk could find in South Africa cost R2 ($0.10), while the most expensive was R190 ($9.90)

South Africa was also the 20th most expensive of 50 Sub-Saharan African countries.

Cable.co.uk found that just six countries in the region were among the top 50 most affordable in the world — with Malawi being the cheapest.

The region had the fourth-highest price out of 13 regions, with only Oceania, South America, and North America fairing worse.

The graphic below shows the average per-gigabyte mobile data prices in 13 global regions — from cheapest to most expensive.

While South Africa ranks among the more expensive countries for mobile data, consumers are still much better off than in neighbouring Zimbabwe, which had the highest price per 1GB of data of all countries in the report.

Across 23 plans, Cable.co.uk found that people had to pay $43.75 (R802.82) per GB of mobile data, 24 times the price paid in South Africa.

The cheapest price per GB in Zimbabwe was $1.17 (R21.47), while the most expensive was a ludicrous $81.83 (R1,501.59).

A recent analysis by VPN provider Surfshark found that the country also had the most expensive prices for fixed broadband packages.

On the flip side, the country with the cheapest 1GB mobile data price was Israel — at $0.02 (R0.37).

The most expensive 1GB bundle in that country was $0.22 (R4.04), far below the average price in South Africa.

Cable.co.uk’s historical data also showed the 1GB mobile data price in South Africa has decreased substantially in the past five years.

In 2019, it calculated an average price of $7.77 per 1GB data bundle, roughly 4.3 times as expensive as in its latest assessment.

However, one must factor the weakening of the rand into this equation.

In 2019, the average dollar-to-rand price was roughly R14.45, which meant the average $7.77 was about R112.27.

For the year-to-date, the average dollar-to-rand price is about R18.35, which means the $1.81 converts to roughly R33.21.

Still, the price in 2019 works out to be roughly 3.4 times as expensive as in 2023.

Using these same exchange rate-adjusted figures, Cable.co.uk’s data shows South Africa’s 1GB mobile data prices have dropped by over 70%.

The graph below shows how the average price of 1GB of mobile data in South Africa changed from 2019 to 2023.

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