A new report finds that smartphone penetration in South Africa continues to grow rapidly, and is forecast to reach more than 83% of the population by 2019, having surpassed 50% in 2015.
BMI-TechKnowledge’s survey SA Consumer Digital Lifestyle Research Programme (DLP), questioned 1,500 people.
When asked what handset they would chose in the future, nearly a third of the respondents interviewed in metropolitan areas selected Samsung.
Choice of handsets in the future
The report said that Cell C and Telkom Mobile have both taken market share from Vodacom and MTN in the metros.
BMI-T’s Digital Lifestyle Measure (DLM) classifies consumers into four groups – DLM1 (Low-Tech), DLM2 (Less-Tech), DLM2 (More-Tech) and DLM4 (High-Tech) based on the extent of their digital lifestyles.
The average monthly spend on a cellphone for voice and data is R210 per month (pm), with DLM1s spending R148 pm and DLM4s spending R449 pm.
If price were not an issue, 35% of respondents said they would consider a ‘phablet’, with the higher the DLM the more likely respondents would be to consider it.
Loading ...More on South Africa
MTN still losing subscribers in South Africa
South Africa’s biggest entertainment markets
Smartphones to drive Internet use in SA
Join the conversation Autoload comments
Comments section policy: Any attacks on BusinessTech, its journalists, or other readers will result in a ban.