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Cape Town - The internet is going mobile in South Africa as growing numbers of people seek to stay connected while on the move, a report says.
The Ericsson ConsumerLabs Internet Goes Mobile Report for SA says that 61% of local users want to remain connected to their social media circles online even when they are with friends and family.
The report also says that South Africans who buy smartphones have healthy appetites to consume data with 83% accessing data services on a daily basis.
"Messaging, listening to music, browsing and social networking are among the top activities performed on any device, irrespective of location," says the report.
The Ericsson reports further highlights that 55% of South Africans often switch between Wi-Fi and mobile connections to save money and to boost their internet speeds for data consumption.
"If internet users are provided with consistently good quality connections at all times for a reasonable price, they are likely to spend more time online and remain connected, unaffected by their location," the report says about data traffic connections.
The Ericsson report further says that 87% of smartphones in SA connect to the internet by mobile broadband (3G or LTE) connections, and 19% via Wi-Fi. On the other hand, for tablets, the situation is virtually reversed with 95% of the gadgets connecting via Wi-Fi.
Ultimately, the Ericsson report says that South Africans are heading toward connected lives.
"The growing demand for a connected lifestyle among South African consumers is confirmed by this study, which shows some of the future aspects of the lifestyle that South Africans are interested in," reads the report.
Other statistics on internet adoption in SA have also pointed to growth in this space.
The managing director of research firm World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck, said earlier this year that smartphone usage in SA is expected to top 23.6 million users this year, up from 19 million in 2014.
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This in turn is forecast to drive internet usage in the country up from a “conservative estimate” of 18.5 million during 2015 and surge to 24.5 million by 2020, according to Goldstuck.
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