12 best ISP providers in South Africa 2024: All you need to know
A large percentage of South Africans need the internet to do their jobs, access social media sites, get the latest news, and much more. The country has multiple internet service providers (ISPs) that cater to different needs. Discover the best ISP providers in South Africa today.
Source: UGC
ISPs are normally evaluated by their speed score (a measure of their download and upload speeds) and customer satisfaction score. The latter relies on network quality, consistency, and speed assessments. The best ISP providers in South Africa offer reliable speeds and have high customer satisfaction scores.s
The best ISP providers in South Africa
ISPs refer to companies that provide access to the internet to personal and business customers. They make it possible for customers to surf the web, shop online, conduct business, and connect with family and friends for a fee. Below is a look at the list of service providers in South Africa today.
12. Africa on Cloud
- Physical address: 12 Zandvoort Rd, Edgemead, Cape Town, 7441, SA
- Telephone number: +27 87 750 8180
AfricaOnCloud VPN provides fast and stable VPN connections, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted online browsing, streaming, and downloading. AfricaOnCloud's packages are affordable and competitive.
11. Cell C (Pty) Ltd
- Physical address: Johannesburg, SA
- Telephone number: 084 194 4000
Cell C is a leading provider of Internet in South Africa. The company provides other telecommunication services. Cell C offers data bundles and fibre packages for customers across the country.
10. Rain
- Physical address: 27 Somerset Road, Cape Town, Western Cape 8005
- Telephone number: 081 610 1000
Rain (Pty) Ltd, commonly known as Rain, is a South African mobile communications company that provides messaging, voice, and data services. It was the country’s first data-only network before its evolution into the current multi-faceted firm. The company has a lease agreement with Vodacom to use its network towers.
9. Telkom
- Physical address: Centurion, Gauteng, SA
- Telephone number: +27 813 0591
Telkom SA SOC Ltd is a South African wireless and wireline telecommunications company with a presence in over 38 countries across Africa. The company is partially state-owned. The government controls a 39% stake.
The company provides ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) retail services to individual and business clients. Telkom SA also provides wholesale internet services to other distributors and resellers. In addition, other large ISPs, such as Afrihost, utilise Telkom SA’s infrastructure to sell ADSL services.
Source: UGC
8. Mweb
- Physical address: 100 Fairway Cl, Parow North, Cape Town
- Telephone number: 087 700 5000
Mweb is a South African internet service provider that has been in operation since 1997. The company is a division of Internet Solutions Digital (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of Dimension Data. Mweb provides internet services through its extensive fibre and LTE infrastructure.
7. Vox
- Physical address: Rutherford Estate, 1 Scott St, Waverley, Johannesburg, 2090
- Telephone number: 087 805 0990
Vox Telecom is a South African ISP that provides FTTH (fibre-to-the-home), LTE, voice, and satellite internet services to consumers. Vox provides fast and relatively affordable broadband to customers who live within the coverage area known as the Frogfoot air coverage section.
6. WebAfrica
- Physical address: Cape Town, PO Box 8116 Roggebaai, SA
- Telephone number: 086 000 9555
WebAfrica is one of South Africa’s largest privately owned ISPs. The company prides itself as one of the leading independent ISPs. WebAfrica is known for its fast and reliable internet connections through the LTE, Fasterfast Fibre, and Naked ADSL platforms.
5. MTN
- Physical address: MTN Proprietary Limited, Innovation Centre, 216 14th Avenue, Fairland
- Telephone number: 083 123 4273
MTN is the largest mobile network operator in Africa, with more than 270 million customers across the continent and parts of the Middle East. In South Africa, MTN provides internet services through its 5G, LTE, 4G, 3G, VoIP, and HSPA+ platforms.
MTN’s fibre-to-the-home service in South Africa is provided through an affiliate company known as Supersonic.
4. Axxess
- Physical address: Axxess DSL Building, 185 Cape Road, Mill Park, Gqeberha, South Africa, 600
- Telephone number: 087 821 1100
Axxess was founded by Franco Barbalich in his one-bedroom flat in 1997. At the time, they were called Axxess Africa and only offered Website Hosting and Website Design. Today, the company also provides Internet access and analogue Dial-up services with their four Internet Cafes.
3. RSAWEB
- Physical location: 4th Floor Office Tower, The Point, 76 Regent Rd, Sea Point, Cape Town, SA
- Telephone number: 087 470 0000
RSAWEB is among the top 10 fibre ISPs in South Africa. It is a well-established company specialising in cloud services, internet provision, hosting, and enterprise-class data centre solutions. Having invested heavily in infrastructure, RSAWEB has built a strong presence in South Africa and internationally. It has data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Source: UGC
2. Afrihost
- Physical address: 376 Rivonia Blvd, Sandton, JHB, 2129
- Telephone number: 0800 011 000
Afrihost is one of the top 10 WiFi providers in SA. It provides multiple services, including web hosting, ADSL broadband, fibre, fixed wireless, mobile services, and domain registration. Over the last few years, Afrihost has been ranked among the top South African ISPs in terms of customer satisfaction, download and upload speeds, and minimal latency.
1. Cool Ideas
- Physical address: 1 Sturdee Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196
- Telephone number: 010 593 2665
Cool Ideas one of the top 10 internet providers in South Africa and arguably the most reliable. It has the lowest mean latency among all top ISPs in the country. It is also the most consistent in terms of network quality.
Cool Ideas offers FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) and FTTB (fibre-to-the-business). In 2021, Afrihost bought a controlling stake in the company, making it the new owner of Cool Ideas. Cool Ideas is the best fibre ISP in South Africa in 2024.
Which Fibre is the best in South Africa?
The best one depends on your needs and the price. It is important to do some research on different ISPs before choosing the best one.
Which ISP is the best in South Africa?
Cool Ideas is the best fibre ISP in South Africa in 2024. The company is the best South African ISP, both in terms of its customer satisfaction score and speed.
Is Vodacom the best ISP provider in South Africa?
Yes, Vodacom is among the top ISPs in SA. It has a huge presence in South Africa. The country was the very first market for Vodacom’s services in Africa. It has grown and expanded its operations into Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and Lesotho.
How many fibre networks are there in South Africa?
There are more than 15 fibre networks in South Africa with varying prices and speeds.
What are the different types of ISP connections?
Here are the different ways one can receive an ISP’s services. They include Cable broadband, DSL (digital subscriber line), fibre-to-the-home, fibre-optic broadband, satellite and mobile broadband, and wireless or WiFi broadband.
The best ISP providers in South Africa offer reliable connectivity and affordability. The top companies are known for meeting customers' needs.
DISCLAIMER: This article is not sponsored by any third party. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
Briefly.co.za recently published a guide on how to conduct an online marital status check in South Africa. While we can agree that marriage is a beautiful institution, it is not entirely free of fraud.
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Source: Briefly News
Nixon Aswani (Content Strategist) Nixon Aswani is a science graduate with a degree in Horticulture from Egerton University and over 9 years experience in content creation. A versatile content strategist, he has worked at Tuko.co.ke, and on Upwork as a freelance writer from 2017 and 2014 respectively, and joined Briefly.co.za in 2018. Follow Nixon on Twitter @NickAswani, and contact him via email on nickdeda89@gmail.com.
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
