Research shows that MTN was the best mobile network in South Africa for 2022. While the country had an average mobile download speed of 49.19 Mbps (and an average upload speed of 14.15 Mbps) last year, MTN had the highest average download speed at 68.84 Mbps, followed by Vodacom at 48.58 Mbps, Telkom at 28.54 Mbps, Cell C at 23.41 Mbps and Rain at 15.14 Mbps.
Moreover, MTN also had the best network in Tshwane, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, eThekwini, Mangaung, Nelson Mandela Bay and Ekurhuleni. MTN’s winning performance results from its outspending its rivals on infrastructure investment over the past five years. However, Vodacom has started spending more than MTN over the last two years, which is beginning to bear fruit in the latest results.
There was a sharp increase in 5G tests in 2022 as operators expanded their 5G footprint to more locations across South Africa. The speed test results also revealed that extreme load-shedding toward the end of 2022 caused unstable connections among all operators. Mobile operators are now investing in improved batteries and backup generators to mitigate the effects of prolonged power outages.