South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria: Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers

South Africa
68.13 million
in 2011
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria
314.46 million
in 2011
South Africa rank
3rd
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria rank
5th

Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers over time

  • South Africa
  • Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria
0100.0M200.0M300.0M196019852011

How they compare

Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria currently reports 314.46 million against 68.13 million in South Africa, a difference of 246.33 million.

That makes Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria's figure about 4.6 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 39 shared years of data; in 1965 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria ranks 5th of 53 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 4 and Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria Difference Ahead
1960s 755,000 295,343 459,657 South Africa
1970s 1.25 million 588,490 664,343 South Africa
1980s 2.30 million 1.04 million 1.26 million South Africa
1990s 5.33 million 2.34 million 2.99 million South Africa
2000s 32.49 million 66.18 million 33.69 million Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria
2010s 61.36 million 285.11 million 223.75 million Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers, South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria?
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria, at 314.46 million against 68.13 million in South Africa as of 2011.
What is the difference in mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers between South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria?
246.33 million, with Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria?
39 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2011.
How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria rank globally for mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers?
South Africa ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria ranks 5th of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, published as Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa and Nigeria: Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/mobile-and-fixed-line-telephone-subscribers/south-africa/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-south-africa-and-nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
59 places, 2,189 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.