Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
South Africa’s mobile industry continues to evolve rapidly, and the latest Opensignal Mobile Network Experience Report for August 2025 shows MTN leading the market in most performance categories. The report, which analyzed network quality between May 1 and July 29, assessed the performance of the country’s five main operators, MTN, Vodacom, Telkom, Cell C, and Rain, across multiple aspects of consumer connectivity.
MTN emerged as the clear winner, taking home 11 out of 15 possible awards. Seven of these were outright wins, while four were shared with competitors. Most notably, MTN secured all four of the Overall Experience awards and four of the five 5G Experience categories. The operator also won the 5G Availability Award, with users connected to 5G 12.4% of the time, a notable increase from 11.5% in the previous report. This performance reflects MTN’s continued investment in its 5G rollout, which now spans over 4,000 sites covering 44% of the population, with the company targeting 60% coverage by the end of 2025.
Vodacom, however, continued to hold a strong position in coverage and speed. It outperformed rivals to win both coverage awards outright, scoring 8.0 on a 10-point scale for overall coverage and improving its 5G Coverage Experience from 1.7 to 2.0. The company also maintained its lead in 5G download speeds, not only outperforming MTN nationwide but also delivering the fastest speeds in all nine provinces. On average, Vodacom’s 5G users enjoyed speeds more than 60 Mbps faster than MTN’s, cementing its dominance in this category.
Telkom also had reasons to celebrate, particularly in network availability. It secured the Availability Award for the second consecutive year, with users spending 99.1% of the time connected to a 3G, 4G, or 5G signal. Telkom also performed strongly in video experience, tying with MTN and Cell C for the top position. All three operators were rated “Good,” meaning their networks consistently delivered video streaming at 720p resolution or higher with minimal stalling.
The findings come against the backdrop of a growing mobile-first economy in South Africa. With one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa, subscriptions continue to rise, and demand for mobile broadband is intensifying. MTN reported a 23% surge in mobile data traffic during the first half of 2025, while Vodacom saw a 36.4 percent increase for its 2025 financial year. Telkom also recorded a 24.1% rise in data usage during the same period. This growth underscores the central role of mobile internet in South Africans’ daily lives, from streaming and e-commerce to remote work and social media.
Yet, the sector still faces major challenges. Infrastructure theft and vandalism remain persistent issues, driving up operating costs and affecting service reliability. The national power crisis and recurring load shedding also add strain, forcing operators to spend heavily on backup power systems and resilience measures. These factors, combined with surging data traffic, place pressure on operators to continue investing in both their 4G and 5G networks, as well as backhaul infrastructure.
While 5G coverage is steadily expanding in major cities and economic hubs, adoption remains relatively low. Only six percent of MTN’s users and 14% of Telkom’s devices are 5G-enabled, even as both operators increase their footprint. With the planned sunset of 2G and 3G networks by 2027 and mobile subscriptions expected to reach 50 million by 2029, analysts anticipate stronger 5G uptake in the coming years as devices become more affordable.
Looking ahead, the Opensignal report highlights a dynamic but challenging market. MTN’s broad leadership, Vodacom’s speed advantage, and Telkom’s reliability show how South Africa’s mobile industry is balancing strong consumer demand with difficult operating conditions. As competition deepens and data usage continues to rise, mobile connectivity will remain a cornerstone of the country’s digital transformation.
