5G is getting traction in South Africa. Rain was the first operator to launch 5G fixed-wireless access in the country, at the end of 2019. Vodacom followed suit in May 2020 and MTN was the latest to join the race in South Africa in June 2020. Vodacom and MTN launched both 5G FWA and eMBB services in the country. Telcos are planning to use 5G to help bridge the digital divide in the country.

On the back of the recent developments and telcos’ strategies to further expand coverage in the country, GlobalData expects that 5G subscribers penetration of the population in the country will reach circa 10% by 2025.

The launch by Vodacom and MTN comes at important and unprecedented times of Covid-19. The launch was, in part, possible due to the regulator assigning temporary spectrum (until the end of November 2020) to telcos to mitigate network congestion.

The congestion was caused by the surge in traffic because people work from home and access entertainment and education resources during the pandemic. For example, Vodacom experienced 40% traffic increase on mobile networks and 250% traffic increase on fixed networks during the lockdown period.

MTN has launched 5G in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth and several other smaller towns.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

For a wider roll out, MTN is planning to focus on dynamic spectrum sharing to overcome the shortage of dedicated 5G spectrum. The release of permanent spectrum would further accelerate the uptake in the country.