Inconsistency Keeps South Africa From Achieving Top Rank On The 2009 Connectivity Scorecard

South Africa scores very highly on business connectivity metrics with excellent secure server penetration and strong business spending on IT resources.  This indicates that a sophisticated e-commerce sector is in place.  PC penetration is not nearly as good, however, nor is the availability of international bandwidth.  Enrolment in secondary schools is respectable, as is government spending on hardware and IT services.

South Africa’s consumer connectivity infrastructure is good, with excellent mobile penetration and usage.  Broadband penetration is much less impressive, though.  The usage of voice minutes is decent, as is gender equality with regards to internet access.  Literacy hovers around average for countries in the sample.

South Africa’s inconsistent scoring, especially with regards to consumer infrastructure could be addressed through increased broadband rollout and a deregulation of the fixed-line telecommunications sector.  An investment in human development would also help provide more workers with greater ICT skills.

South Africa Connectivity Performance by Scorecard Component