Report Coverage
The detailed report on the South African Telecommunications sector examines the key trends and developments in the sector over the last year and the market for mobile devices. Also discussed are the regulatory challenges facing the sector, particularly the revised plan for South Africa's broadband strategy, SA Connect, as well as the publication of the National Integrated ICT Policy. Profiles for 77 companies are provided. These include the three dominant companies in the mobile arena, Vodacom, MTN and Cell C, as well as smaller firms such as FNB Connect and me&you which act as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). Also profiled are wholesalers and retailers of mobile devices including the largest non-network retailer of phones, PEP Stores, which sold more than 7 million handsets during 2016.
The Telecommunications Industry and the Retail of Devices
Excluding broadcasting and postal services, the telecommunications industry was worth R148.8bn in 2016, with its value increasing by 1% year-on-year. The sector contributed 2.7% to GDP and employed 26,669 people, according to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
Changing Consumer Spend
There is a clear shift towards mobile over fixed-line connectivity, as well as internet over voice services. Mobile data revenue increased significantly, more than 25% year-on-year, while mobile voice revenue declined by 5.9% in 2016. In 2010 mobile spend on voice accounted for 77% of total mobile revenue, with data at just 8%. As of 2017, data now accounts for between 40% and 43% of mobile service revenue, and voice has fallen below 50%. All of the large mobile operators have identified data and mobile broadband as the key growth area of their businesses and have invested heavily in infrastructure to increase the coverage and speed of their networks. Local investment reached R28.1bn in 2016, from R24bn in 2015. Of this total, 68% was invested in mobile communications services and network expansion, 18% in fixed broadband services and network, and just 1% was spent on fixed-line telephone and voice infrastructure.
Historical Reports
The Telecommunications Industry and Retail of Devices in South Africa 2016-06-23
R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $120.23 (USD)*
View Report Add to CartThe Telecommunications Industry and Retail of Devices in South Africa 2014-07-31
R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $120.23 (USD)*
View Report Add to CartTable of Contents
| PAGE | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | INTRODUCTION | 1 |
| 2. | DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY | 1 |
| 2.1. | Industry Value Chain | 2 |
| 2.2. | Geographic Position | 5 |
| 3. | SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY | 5 |
| 4. | STATE OF THE INDUSTRY | 25 |
| 4.1. | Local | 25 |
| 4.1.1. | Corporate Actions | 44 |
| 4.1.2. | Regulations | 46 |
| 4.1.3. | Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development | 48 |
| 4.2. | Continental | 49 |
| 4.3. | International | 51 |
| 5. | INFLUENCING FACTORS | 52 |
| 5.1. | Economic Environment | 52 |
| 5.2. | Lack of Spectrum | 53 |
| 5.3. | Unbundling the Local Loop | 54 |
| 5.4. | Ineffective Governance and Regulatory Bodies | 54 |
| 5.5. | Labour | 55 |
| 5.6. | Environmental Concerns | 57 |
| 5.7. | Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation | 58 |
| 6. | COMPETITION | 60 |
| 6.1. | Barriers to Entry | 61 |
| 7. | SWOT ANALYSIS | 62 |
| 8. | OUTLOOK | 62 |
| 1. | INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS | 63 |
| 2. | REFERENCES | 63 |
| 2.1. | Publications | 63 |
| 2.2. | Websites | 64 |
| COMPANY PROFILES - CELLULAR & FIXED LINES TELEPHONY | 65 | |
| BITCO TELECOMS (PTY) LTD | 65 | |
| CELL C (PTY) LTD | 67 | |
| LIQUID TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 71 | |
| MRP MOBILE (PTY) LTD | 73 | |
| MTN GROUP LTD | 74 | |
| TELKOM SA SOC LTD | 78 | |
| VIRGIN MOBILE SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 82 | |
| VODACOM GROUP LTD | 84 | |
| COMPANY PROFILES - INFASTRUCTURE & RELATED SERVICES, INCLUDING HARDWARE, NETWORKING & CONVERGENCE TECHNOLOGY | 88 | |
| AFRIHOST (PTY) LTD | 88 | |
| ALCATEL-LUCENT SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 90 | |
| ALTRON TMT (PTY) LTD | 93 | |
| ATIO CORPORATION (PTY) LTD | 95 | |
| BITCO TELECOMS (PTY) LTD | 98 | |
| BLUE LABEL TELECOMS LTD | 100 | |
| BUSINESS CONNEXION (PTY) LTD | 104 | |
| CELCOM GROUP (PTY) LTD | 108 | |
| CYBERSMART (PTY) LTD | 110 | |
| DARK FIBRE AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 112 | |
| DATAPRO (PTY) LTD | 115 | |
| DATATEC LTD | 117 | |
| DIMENSION DATA (PTY) LTD | 120 | |
| EOH MTHOMBO (PTY) LTD | 123 | |
| FIBRECO TELECOMMUNICATIONS (PTY) LTD | 126 | |
| FONEWORX (PTY) LTD | 128 | |
| GATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS (PTY) LTD | 130 | |
| HUGE TELECOM (PTY) LTD | 132 | |
| HUNTLEY MEDIA SERVICES (PTY) LTD | 134 | |
| IGNITION TELECOMS INVESTMENTS (PTY) LTD | 136 | |
| JASCO ELECTRONICS HOLDINGS LTD | 138 | |
| LIQUID TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 142 | |
| NASHUA COMMUNICATIONS (PTY) LTD | 144 | |
| NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 146 | |
| PLESSEY (PTY) LTD | 148 | |
| RAIN (PTY) LTD | 150 | |
| REUNERT LTD | 152 | |
| SAAB GRINTEK TECHNOLOGIES (PTY) LTD | 157 | |
| SABRE RADIO NETWORKS (PTY) LTD | 160 | |
| SENTECH SOC LTD | 162 | |
| STRIKE MEDIA (PTY) LTD | 165 | |
| TELEMASTERS HOLDINGS LTD | 167 | |
| TELLUMAT (PTY) LTD | 169 | |
| TERACO DATA ENVIRONMENTS (PTY) LTD | 172 | |
| TRIBAL ZONE TELECOMMUNICATIONS (PTY) LTD | 174 | |
| TRUTEQ WIRELESS (PTY) LTD | 176 | |
| VOX TELECOMMUNICATIONS (PTY) LTD | 178 | |
| VUMATEL (PTY) LTD | 181 | |
| WISPA (PTY) LTD | 183 | |
| WORLDTEL BROADBAND (PTY) LTD | 185 | |
| COMPANY PROFILES - CABLING AND RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE | 186 | |
| A T C (PTY) LTD | 186 | |
| ABERDARE CABLES (PTY) LTD | 188 | |
| LUNGISA-VRG TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND PROJECTS (PTY) LTD | 191 | |
| METRO FIBRE NETWORX (PTY) LTD | 193 | |
| REUNERT LTD | 195 | |
| SMART VILLAGE (PTY) LTD | 200 | |
| COMPANY PROFILES - UNDERSEA CABLING | 202 | |
| BROADBAND INFRACO SOC LTD | 202 | |
| LIQUID TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 205 | |
| TELKOM SA SOC LTD | 207 | |
| COMPANY PROFILES – WHOLESALE AND RETAIL OF DEVICES | 211 | |
| 2C TELECOMS (PTY) LTD | 211 | |
| CELL C (PTY) LTD | 213 | |
| CORE COMPUTER GROUP (PTY) LTD (THE) | 217 | |
| HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 219 | |
| KNR FLATROCK (PTY) LTD | 221 | |
| LENOVO (SOUTH AFRICA) (PTY) LTD | 223 | |
| LG ELECTRONICS SA (PTY) LTD | 225 | |
| MICROSOFT (S A) (PTY) LTD | 227 | |
| MRP MOBILE (PTY) LTD | 230 | |
| MTN GROUP LTD | 231 | |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 235 | |
| TELKOM SA SOC LTD | 237 | |
| VIRGIN MOBILE SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 241 | |
| VODACOM GROUP LTD | 243 | |
| ZTE CORPORATION SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD | 247 |
