SA's First Broadband Map: Rating the Initiatives That Will Accelerate Digital Business

The Map That Changes Everything

South Africa now has its first comprehensive, neighbourhood-level view of broadband infrastructure. The South Africa Digital Infrastructure Investment Study (SADIS) 2025, commissioned by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the National Planning Commission, divides the country into more than 1.5 million hexagonal cells of 0.76 km² each. For the first time, policymakers, investors and operators can see exactly where connectivity exists and where it does not.

"For the first time, we can see exactly where the digital economy starts and where it stops. This map is not just data; it is a call to action for every business leader, investor and policymaker in South Africa." — Yaron Assabi, Group Founder & CEO, DSG

The study was produced by Africa Analysis with support from Ellipsis Regulatory Solutions and Networks Anonymous, overlaying Icasa mobile coverage data, ITU fibre mapping, fixed-wireless provider data, and publicly available network information into a single GIS platform. As TechCentral journalist Nkosinathi Ndlovu reported, the mapping system can pinpoint connectivity gaps down to the city block.

Where We Stand Today

The numbers tell a story of progress with significant blind spots. Mobile broadband (4G) reaches 98% of the population, and 74% of households live within 10 km of a fibre node. But roughly 400,000 households still lack access to 4G or better, and 12.2% of all households sit more than 20 km from the nearest fibre node. On the public infrastructure side, more than 6,700 schools and over 1,000 health clinics fall in the 10 to 25 km fibre gap.

"This study is not just about laying cable. It is about building the digital rails on which South African businesses, entrepreneurs and public services will run for the next decade. Every kilometre of fibre we fail to deploy is a market we fail to open." — Yaron Assabi, Group Founder & CEO, DSG

How SA Compares Globally

South Africa's mean download speed of 52 Mbps puts it behind Brazil (55 Mbps), Thailand (73 Mbps), France (103 Mbps) and Germany (57 Mbps), though ahead of Kenya (29 Mbps). The SA Connect policy targets 100% of the population at 100 Mbps by 2030, which would require nearly doubling current average speeds. Reaching that target is not optional; it is the baseline for meaningful participation in the global digital economy.

Three Economic Scenarios, One Imperative

The study models three investment scenarios through 2035, each tied to a different economic trajectory. Under the decline scenario (mobile-dominated, limited fibre expansion), GDP growth stays flat at around 1.8%. The stagnation scenario (a blend of mobile, FWA and limited fibre) projects 2.64% growth. The recovery scenario (fibre-led, multi-technology) could push growth to 3.16% annually. The investment range: R140 billion under least-cost deployment to over R200 billion for ambitious fibre-led infrastructure.

"The difference between 1.8% and 3.16% GDP growth is not a rounding error. It is the difference between a country that consumes digital services and one that creates them. South Africa has the infrastructure foundations; now we need the will to finish the build." — Yaron Assabi, Group Founder & CEO, DSG

Rating the Initiatives: What Will Unlock Digital Business?

Not every initiative in the study carries equal weight for digital business enablement. Some will directly accelerate e-commerce, cloud adoption, remote work and AI-driven services. Others are foundational but slower to translate into business impact. Here is how we rate the key initiatives.

High Impact: Fibre to the Last Mile

With 55.3% of households already within 5 km of a fibre node, the economics of last-mile fibre expansion are favourable in dense urban and peri-urban areas. This is where digital business growth will be fastest: reliable, high-speed fixed connections enable cloud platforms, SaaS adoption, digital payments, and the data throughput needed for AI applications. The study notes that fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-business deployments will continue expanding where commercial investment is viable.

High Impact: Connecting Schools and Clinics

The SA Connect targets call for 100% of schools connected at 1 Gbps by 2030. Currently, over 6,700 public schools sit 10 to 25 km from a fibre node, and more than 3,200 are in the 25 to 50 km band. Connected schools create a pipeline of digitally capable workers and entrepreneurs. Connected clinics enable telehealth platforms and data-driven public health. Both represent large-scale platforms for digital service delivery that the private sector can build on.

"A connected school is not just an education outcome. It is a future customer, a future employee, a future founder. When we connect 6,700 schools, we are not spending money; we are planting the seeds of a digital economy that will pay dividends for decades." — Yaron Assabi, Group Founder & CEO, DSG

High Impact: Making Connectivity Affordable

Infrastructure without affordability is infrastructure without users. The study's household affordability modelling shows that many South African households cannot afford a broadband connection at R300 per month. This is where MVNOs, innovative pricing models, device subsidy programmes and shared-access models become critical. The goal of 100 Mbps for all is meaningless if the people who need it most cannot pay for it.

Medium Impact: Fixed Wireless and Municipal Planning

Fixed wireless access (FWA) bridges the gap in areas where fibre is too costly to deploy but mobile speeds are not sufficient for business use. For SMEs in peri-urban towns, FWA can mean the difference between operating on WhatsApp and operating on a cloud ERP system. Meanwhile, the broadband access scores assigned to all 213 municipalities give local government a data-driven tool for prioritising investment where the economic multiplier is highest.

Moderate Impact: Skills, Satellite and Data Systems

Digital skills and literacy are the long game. The UMC dashboard shows "No data" for school connectivity and internet gender parity metrics, which signals a measurement gap as much as a delivery gap. Satellite (particularly LEO constellations) will serve the 12.2% of households beyond 20 km from fibre, but the business case for these remote areas is thin without public subsidy. The proposed national GIS database and Icasa data portal will improve planning and coordination, but their impact on digital business is indirect and slow to materialise.

What This Means for Business Leaders

The broadband map is not a telecoms document. It is a market map. Every gap it reveals is a market waiting to be served. Every connected household is a potential digital customer. The R140 to R200 billion investment envelope represents one of the largest infrastructure programmes South Africa will undertake this decade, and the businesses that position themselves to serve newly connected communities will capture the growth.

"We have been saying for years that connectivity is the great equaliser. Now we have the data to prove it, down to the city block. The question for every business leader in South Africa is simple: are you building for 52 Mbps, or are you building for 100? Because the infrastructure is coming, and the businesses that are ready for it will win." — Yaron Assabi, Group Founder & CEO, DSG