Fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa
South Africa: Fixed telephone subscriptions was 1.01 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.01 million
Change on year
down 25.1%
World rank
67th
of 214 countries
All-time high
5.49 million
in 1999
All-time low
650,013
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
In 2024, fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa stood at 1.01 million.
The figure is down 25.1% on the previous year and down 72.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa peaked at 5.49 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 650,013, in 1960.
That places South Africa 67th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 650,013 | — |
| 1961 | 650,013 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 650,013 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 650,013 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 650,013 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 755,000 | +16.2% |
| 1966 | 755,000 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 755,000 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 755,000 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 755,000 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 916,000 | +21.3% |
| 1971 | 916,000 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 916,000 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 916,000 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 916,000 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.16 million | +26.2% |
| 1976 | 1.23 million | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 1.31 million | +6.6% |
| 1978 | 1.40 million | +6.7% |
| 1979 | 1.51 million | +7.9% |
| 1980 | 1.63 million | +8.2% |
| 1981 | 1.79 million | +9.6% |
| 1982 | 1.94 million | +8.3% |
| 1983 | 2.07 million | +7.0% |
| 1984 | 2.15 million | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 2.30 million | +6.7% |
| 1986 | 2.53 million | +10.2% |
| 1987 | 2.67 million | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 2.87 million | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 3.08 million | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 3.32 million | +7.6% |
| 1991 | 3.43 million | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 3.46 million | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 3.59 million | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 3.78 million | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 4.00 million | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 4.26 million | +6.4% |
| 1997 | 4.65 million | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 5.08 million | +9.3% |
| 1999 | 5.49 million | +8.2% |
| 2000 | 4.96 million | -9.7% |
| 2001 | 4.92 million | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 4.92 million | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 4.91 million | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 4.90 million | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 4.90 million | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 4.89 million | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 4.88 million | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 4.88 million | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 4.87 million | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 4.86 million | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 4.85 million | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 4.85 million | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 3.88 million | -20.0% |
| 2014 | 3.65 million | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 4.13 million | +13.2% |
| 2016 | 4.52 million | +9.5% |
| 2017 | 4.81 million | +6.4% |
| 2018 | 3.35 million | -30.4% |
| 2019 | 2.02 million | -39.5% |
| 2020 | 2.10 million | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 1.47 million | -29.9% |
| 2022 | 1.31 million | -11.0% |
| 2023 | 1.35 million | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 1.01 million | -25.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.01 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 734,202, 1.4× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.01 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56,011, 18.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 702,506 | 650,013 | 755,000 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.12 million | 916,000 | 1.51 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.30 million | 1.63 million | 3.08 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.11 million | 3.32 million | 5.49 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.90 million | 4.87 million | 4.96 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.09 million | 2.02 million | 4.86 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.01 million | 2.10 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More infrastructure data for South Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 179.34 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0158 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -25.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 1.01 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 114.79 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions in South Africa was 1.01 million in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.49 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 650,013 in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
- South Africa ranks 67th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 72.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Fixed telephone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones.