ICT
SA internet users hit 10% mark.
The number of South African internet users rose to over 5-million in 2009, finally breaking through the 10% mark in internet penetration for the country, which has a population of 49.3-million.
This is the key finding of the Internet Access in South Africa 2010 study, conducted by World Wide Worx and jointly sponsored by Cisco. The headline data, released in mid-January, shows that the internet user base grew by 15% in 2009, from 4.6-million to 5.3-million, and is expected to grow at a similar rate in 2010.
"The good news is that we will continue to see strong growth in 2010, and we should reach the 6-million mark by the end of the year," says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx.
Reshaad Sha of the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group says that this can only benefit the economy. "A sustained growth in internet penetration is a key factor that will positively influence the economy of South Africa," he says.
Growth in the number of internet users in South Africa was relatively stagnant from 2002 to 2007, when it never rose above 7%. However, this rate almost doubled in 2008, and continued accelerating in 2009
While the headline findings examine the general numbers of users, the final Internet Access in South Africa 2010 report, due to be released in March, will highlight the extent of new fibre-optic networks laid down across South African cities and between the cities. It will also examine the impact of the range of new undersea cables that will be in place by...read more
Sources: MediaClubSouthAfrica.com, (2010)
