TheFutureIsMobile:Predicting
SmartphonePenetrationin SouthAfricafor2023
Whether you’re a dedicated iPhone user, swear by Android, or someone who uses a less well-known operating system - you’ll likely know a thing or two about the capabilities of smartphones. But just how prevalent is smartphone use in South Africa in 2023? Which brands and models are most popular? And what do predictions for the South African smartphone market look like?
Smartphone penetration in South Africa is expected to increase steadily in 2023, with projections suggesting that nearly 80% of the population will own a smartphone by the end of the year. This growth is driven by factors such as decreasing smartphone prices and improved network coverage. With more South Africans owning smartphones, there is significant potential for digital transformation across industries, such as e-commerce and fintech, as well as improving access to education and healthcare.
SmartphoneUsageStatistics:Key FactsandFigures
No time to scroll? No problem. Here are our key findings-
● Apple is the most sought-after brand of smartphone in South Africa, followed by Samsung, Huawei, Oppo and Hisense.
● In terms of smartphone models, the iPhone 13 & 14 take the lead, closely followed by the Samsung Galaxy A12 and A13.
● However, when it comes to market share, Samsung has the biggest share (48%), followed by Huawei (22.1%) then Apple (16.5%).
● As of 2023, approximately 82.5%of South Africans are predicted to have and use a smartphone of some kind.
● In 2020, the South African mobile phones market had total revenues of $5.6 billion, which is expected to rise to $7.9 billion this year (2023).
● 25 to 34 year-olds in South Africa are the most likely age group to access the internet via smartphones, as they account for almost a third of all users in the country.
● Mobile Network providers Vodacom and MTN have won the most awards for mobile phone experience categories such as 5G availability, download speed and best gaming experiences.
WhichSmartphoneBrandisMostPopularin SouthAfrica?
We’ve all heard of leading smartphone brands such as Apple and Samsung and many of us will be familiar with the likes of Nokia, Hisense and Vivo. But as of 2023, which smartphone manufacturer is officially the most popular in South Africa?
To find out, we conducted an analysis of Google searches carried out over the last few years in South Africa for all mobile phone brands that have a market share of at least 1%. We conducted the analysis using the tool Keyword Finder and found:
The most popular smartphone brand in South Africa is - unsurprisingly - Apple! With the search term ‘iPhone’ having been typed into Google a whopping 93,750 times per month on average in 2023. This makes Apple twice as popular as the second-ranking smartphone brand - Samsung.
Also amongst the top 5 most searched-for phone brands in South Africa are Huawei, Oppo and Hisense.
Source : Mobile phone mock up
