More than 5 million South Africans make use of the world wide web, the research 'Internet Access in South Africa 2010' shows. It is the first time that the number of South African internet users has passed the 5 million mark.

The study, conducted by World Wide Worx and jointly sponsored by Cisco shows that the Internet user base grew by 15% last year, from 4,6 million to 5,3 million, and is expected to grow at a similar rate in 2010.

"The good news is that we will continue to see strong growth in 2010, and we should reach the 6-million mark by the end of the year," says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx.

"A sustained growth in Internet penetration is a key factor that will positively influence the economy of South Africa", says Reshaad Sha, senior manager for Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group.

World Wide Worx found that the landing of a new undersea cable on the South African coast was only one of a range of factors behind the growth. Of greater significance was the granting of Electronic Communications Network Service licenses to more than 400 organisations. This meant that service providers that were previously required to buy their network access from one of the major providers could now build their own networks or choose where they wanted to buy their access. The large providers, in turn, began to offer far more competitive packages to both customers and resellers.

source: Allafrica