If you’re reading this, you obviously have internet access of some kind. Like me, you probably couldn’t imagine a world where information isn’t available at your fingertips.

As it turns out, for a large percentage of the population of South Africa, the internet isn’t part of their day to day grind.

New research from Research ICT Africa shows that only 53% of South Africans use the internet. As MyBroadband reports, that’s far fewer than other comparable countries:

This is compared to 73% in Columbia and 86% in Argentina.

The report, with the title “Lagging ICT adoption in SA”, added that South Africa is still ahead of other African countries, though.

South Africa’s mobile phone penetration rate was much higher, added the report, coming in at 85%.

It’s not just you – “mobile phone penetration” does sound like something that happens to you in prison.

The study is actually a fascinating look into who accesses the internet, and via which device. South Africans use their phones a lot, which makes sense considering that a lot of South Africans can’t afford (or don’t think they can afford) an internet connection.

The graph below shows the internet usage rate, mobile phone penetration, and gross national income of the countries compared to SA.

“Although South Africa’s mobile phone and Internet penetration are high compared to other African and Asian developing countries, it does not perform as well when compared with countries in Latin America with similar incomes,” stated the report.

With only half the population online, the “potential of the Internet to drive social and economic inclusion in a developing economy is not met”.

While South Africans who earn above R7,168 per month were found to be connected to the Internet, those who earned below this threshold were unlikely to be online.

This was particularly true in the R0-R1,583 per month bracket – which contributed heavily to the “not connected” portion of the population.

If you look at a lot of the packages out there, you’d probably agree that internet access can be pricey. Luckily, if you know where to look, there are providers who offer a wide selection, ranging from entry-level right through to high-speed business connections.

Which is good news, because what do you do with your evenings without a Showmax binge session?

So much of our entertainment happens via streaming, and streaming isn’t something you can really do on your phone – especially if it’s a group activity.

Take RSAWEB, for example. They make it easy and affordable for you to install fibre in your home.

They also supply you with a free high-quality wi-fi router that can handle your new lightning-fast Fibre Internet. If you struggle to commit, you can also work on a month-to-month basis. Uncapped packages are available, and the setup process is simple – someone installs it for you.

If you’re wondering which speed would be right for you, here’s a handy breakdown of what’s available:

Like I said, if you’re reading this you probably have internet access. Why not take it to the next level with Fibre. Seriously, if RSAWEB makes it this easy, you might as well get some bragging rights in with your internet connection.

[source:mybroadband]