Newsletter 133 - Access to landlines drops while cellular phones in households soar
The proportion of households with access to mobile phones increased rapidly over a three-year period in South Africa. On the other hand, the proportion of households with access to landline telephones declined. Households in the North West, as well as Indian and white households bucked the trend, however.
Between 2007 and 2010 the proportion of households with access to landline telephones decreased from 19% to 17% while household access to cellular (mobile) telephones increased from 73% to 87%. This is according to information from Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey.
The largest decline in household access to landlines, at 28%, occurred in the Free State province followed by the Northern Cape’s 26% dip. Overall, there was a 10% drop in access to landlines across the country, the North West being the only province to show an increase (1%) in access.
Household access to cellular phones increased by 24% in the country as a whole. The largest increase was in the Eastern Cape at 33%, followed by Limpopo at 30%, and the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal at 27% each.
Access to mobile phones among African, coloured, Indian, and white households increased by 21%, 24%, 20%, and 8% respectively. Access to landlines declined by 22% and 15% in African and coloured households respectively, while it rose by 1% and 6% in Indian and white households respectively.
- Kerwin Lebone
This website has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this
document are the sole responsibility of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty and the South African
Institute of Race Relations and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the
European Union.
