South Africa has reached a major milestone in its digital transformation, with new data showing that traditional landlines have effectively disappeared from everyday household communication.
According to the latest General Household Survey, no South African households now rely exclusively on landline telephones, while mobile phones have become the primary communication tool for nearly the entire population.
The findings highlight how rapidly communication habits have changed over the past two decades, driven by widespread mobile network coverage, affordable smartphones, and growing access to digital services.
Today, 93.8% of South African households depend solely on cellular phones for communication, illustrating the extent to which mobile technology has replaced older systems.
Mobile Phones Reshape Communication Across South Africa
The shift away from landlines is visible across all provinces, although some regions have embraced mobile communication more strongly than others.
Limpopo recorded the highest proportion of households relying exclusively on cellular phones at 95.6%, closely followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 95.5% and Mpumalanga at 95.2%.
The Northern Cape reported the lowest rate of exclusive mobile phone use, but even there nearly nine out of ten households depend entirely on cellular devices.
Households maintaining both a landline and a mobile phone have become increasingly rare. The Western Cape, which has the highest dual-usage rate in the country, recorded just 3.8% of households using both communication methods.
The transition reflects broader technological developments that have reshaped how South Africans communicate, work, access services, and participate in the economy.
Internet and Postal Services Also Undergo Major Changes
The rise of mobile technology has transformed internet access patterns throughout the country.
While only 20.6% of households have fixed internet connections such as fibre or ADSL at home, mobile broadband has expanded dramatically. Between 2010 and 2025, the proportion of South Africans accessing the internet through mobile phones increased from 28.0% to 85.6%.
The impact has been particularly significant in rural communities, where traditional broadband infrastructure remains limited. Only 2.7% of rural households have fixed internet access, yet 76.4% are able to connect online through mobile devices.
As digital communication becomes the norm, traditional postal services have experienced a steep decline.
The South African Post Office has seen mail volumes fall sharply as email, messaging applications, and online platforms increasingly replace physical letters.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer households were receiving mail. The proportion of households reporting no mail delivery rose from 9.0% in 2002 to 32.7% by 2019. Following the pandemic and the acceleration of digital adoption, the figure surged to 67.4% in 2025.
Despite the country’s growing connectivity, challenges remain. Approximately 3.7% of households still lack access to both landlines and mobile phones. Based on an estimated 20.1 million households nationwide, this represents roughly 744,000 households without any telephone access.
Provincial disparities are also evident. The Northern Cape has the highest rate of disconnected households at 9.1%, followed by the Eastern Cape and Free State.
Data from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) further shows that mobile connectivity continues to dominate internet access, with more than three-quarters of South Africans using mobile data to get online in 2024.
The figures underline a clear reality: South Africa has largely completed its transition from fixed-line communication to a mobile-first digital society.
Source: General Household Survey and ICASA State of the ICT Sector 2026 Report