For a (in the main) evolved country, truely one of the maximum developed international locations in Africa, South Africa’s internet penetration is abysmally low. There are, of course, many logical reasons for this: the relative poverty of most of the populace, loss of net get admission to, loss of bandwidth and, until currently, the high price of bandwidth available. According to Q3 records launched with the aid of Nielsen Online and the Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA), all this is changing and internet use within the united states of america is beginning to attain superb levels.
Statistics take into account month-to-month unique uncapped internet browsers (UBs) through desktop and mobile get admission to. The Media Online reviews that desktop Q3 UBs grew through fifty three% in 2010 as compared to the same duration in 2009. The number of nearby uniques (nearby browsers) getting access to DMMA laptop web sites elevated by 22%.
According to Karen Dembpers, head of advertising for DMMA, “The Q3 audience figures confirm the marketplace’s persisted boom as the net matures in South Africa.”
There are a number of reasons for this, however the maximum vital (for computer systems) is decreasing bandwidth costs. In a piece of writing on TechCentral, Greg Payne, director of Afrihost, is quoted as saying that customers are paying up to 2 thirds much less for bandwidth than they had been a yr in the past. These days, you can purchase 50GB of facts for much less than you will have paid for 10GB in 2009.
The proliferation of uncapped ADSL packages has also helped enhance net use. With uncapped ADSL customers can download motion pictures and music to their hearts’ content material, spend unlimited time on social networks, and spend extra time than is healthy gambling online video games.
Growth in cellular net use outstrips computer use by means of a ways. According to the Nielsen Online and DMMA facts, the average wide variety of each day cellular precise expanded by way of 403% year-on-yr and monthly particular browsers multiplied by using 445%. This is due to the fact mobile internet get entry to is more convenient for a population that isn’t always near a laptop and additionally because cell records pricing is likewise coming down. In addition, more mobile devices allow for internet get entry to, no longer simply cell phones. Users can get right of entry to the net from capsules including Apple’s iPad and gaming consoles inclusive of PlayStation.
Mobile get entry to is growing all the time, and Payne believes that bandwidth expenses will preserve to drop until they’re inline with worldwide prices. All of which is ideal news for South Africa internet customers, the vintage and the new.