- South Africa has roughly 51 million internet users (51,000,000 people) — about 78.5% of the population and rank #22 globally.
- The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Signal, ayoba, Facebook. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Banking, Public services and more.
- The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.
South Africa in numbers
2025–2026- Internet users
- 51 million51,000,000 · #22
- Penetration
- 78.5%#118
- Population
- 65 million65,000,000 · #24
- GDP
- $401B#41
- GDP growth
- +0.5%#186
- GDP per person
- $6,171#132
- Land area
- 1.22M km²#25
- Capital
- Pretoria (executive capital)
- Region
- Africa
- Official languages
- English, isiZulu, Afrikaans and 9 more official languages
How South Africa goes online
South Africa is Africa’s second-biggest online market, with roughly 84% of people connected. Mobile money and one-hour grocery delivery are the categories to watch: Sixty60 reset expectations for groceries, and Takealot carries most of the e-commerce load.
Around 78.5%. With a population of about 65 million and 51 million online, roughly 14 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.
All 109 apps below are grouped by category.
What people actually use
109 Most-used appsWebsites people in South Africa actually use
28The 28 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.
Nearby and similar markets
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Frequently asked questions
6 Q&AHow many people in South Africa are online?
About 51 million (51,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 78.5% of the population, which puts South Africa at #22 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.
Which apps do people in South Africa use most?
Mostly WhatsApp, Signal, ayoba, Facebook — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Banking, Public services. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.
What is the leading Messaging app in South Africa?
WhatsApp, Signal, ayoba dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.
How high is internet penetration in South Africa?
Around 78.5%. With a population of about 65 million and 51 million online, roughly 14 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.
Where do these app facts come from?
Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.
Which websites are most popular in South Africa?
The everyday ones are Google South Africa, News24, IOL, plus the other 28 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.
Sources
Updated 2026-11-12- DataReportal — Digital 2026
- ITU — Statistics
- Official product sites
World Sites & Apps. “South Africa: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/za.html