Page last updated on June 20, 2014

Telephones - main lines in use:
4.03 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 42
[see also: Telephones - main lines in use country ranks ]

Telephones - mobile cellular:
68.4 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Telephones - mobile cellular country ranks ]

Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 140 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber-optic submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Broadcast media:
the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

Internet country code:
.za

Internet hosts:
4.761 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 23
[see also: Internet hosts country ranks ]

Internet users:
4.42 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Internet users country ranks ]