Twenty million South Africans had access to the internet in 2013, growing 20 per cent year-on-year from 2012, according to a study.
VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) released the 2014 Internet Trends study, compiled by American venture capitalist (VC) and former Wall Street securities analyst, Mary Meeker.
According to Meeker, South Africa has an internet penetration of 40 per cent, with the growth of the smartphone market driving internet penetration.
KPCB said South Africa has a smartphone penetration of 41 per cent, representing 20 million individuals.
It said the country experienced a 32 per cent smartphone usage growth during 2013, four percentage points above the global average.
HumanIPO reported last month cheap smartphones are to drive internet penetration in Africa.
The study also showed that global internet penetration was 2.6 billion. However, there was a sharp dive in user growth between 2011 and 2013.
The International Data Corporation (IDC) reported 23 per cent growth in global smartphone shipments during 2014, reaching 1.2 billion by year’s end.
Mobile phone penetration, including feature phones, is set to reach an all time high of 63 per cent this year.
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