Internet usage in South Africa has risen steadily since 2010, and now more than 50 per cent of the population has access to the online world. Just ten years ago, this figure was at 10 per cent, so there has been an impressive spike over the decade. However, it appears that internet penetration has plateaued at around the 56 per cent mark, and it is not enjoying the same growth as it was before. What will be the next steps towards getting a greater number of South Africans online?
Improvement of Internet Infrastructure
The main reason for the sharp rise in internet availability over the last ten years has been through the increased investment in infrastructure. This has been seen mainly through the installation of submarine and land cables that have helped broadband hit around 40 per cent penetration. The West Africa Cable System has seen a lot of development in recent times, and there are now 15 cables set up by numerous telecom companies that link South Africa with the rest of the world.
It has been noted that fixed broadband networks connected by cables around the country are too expensive for a lot of end-users. The government, therefore, needs to invest more heavily in data centres, 4G and 5G towers that can beam Wi-Fi to a greater number of people. A large proportion of internet users will be accessing the web via mobile anyway, so wireless connection options are the best way forward.
More Reasons to Attract People to The Internet
One of the main ways to encourage everyone to get online is through the fear of missing out. It could be argued that the internet has already reached a stage with its entertainment options where it just can’t be beaten by offline methods. For this reason, people who don’t have access to the internet are unable to enjoy all the great things it has to offer. Some people may not feel like this is a problem. However, there is a chance that online entertainment options will replace things like network television and cinemas in the years ahead. At that point, people won’t have a choice but to be online if options become limited.
The gaming industry is going to be almost exclusively online within the next decade. Online casinos are leading the way and providing vast libraries of leisure options for people in search of something to play. Because so many people want to partake in gambling games, Casinos.co.za trawls all the various options and recommends sites for people to use. This is based on the bonuses, withdrawal options, and games on offer. With gambling being a popular pastime in South Africa, people are unlikely to want to miss out as the online casino industry permeates the country even more in the years ahead.
Outside of online casinos, other offshoots of the gaming industry are also progressing towards being fully online. This is being seen with cloud-based gaming subscription services like Microsoft xCloud and NVIDIA GeForce Now. Instead of buying physical games, players are moving towards paying a monthly fee to access a wide variety of options online. Indeed, the days of physical discs could be over by the time the next consoles are released. The PlayStation 5 comes in two variants, one with a disc reader and one without. This indicates that the PS6 may be fully cloud-based when it comes to loading up games.
Reducing The Cost of Mobile Broadband
It has been found that 52 per cent of Africans that are covered by mobile broadband do not currently use it because it is too expensive. Telecoms operators need to make their services more affordable for the end-user if they are to gain a significant number of new customers in South Africa. Some people think that the way to solve this would be to welcome a minimum of three international providers to the country. This would raise the competition and help to drive prices down.
South Africa appears to have reached a crucial stage where greater investment is needed to continue boosting internet usage. The government needs to encourage international investment, while at the same time improve infrastructure within the country.
