Afrihost has extended its lead over Telkom, Mweb, and Cool Ideas as the Internet service provider (ISP) with the strongest brand in South Africa. This was revealed in Analytico’s latest Broadband and ISP Brand research.

Analytico is a research company focusing on the IT and telecommunications market. It provides market research, network intelligence, and marketing insights that help companies make informed decisions.

In January 2024, Analytico conducted its annual survey, completed by nearly 2,000 broadband subscribers across South Africa.

As part of the survey, respondents were asked which ISP they would pick if they had to sign up for a new fibre service.

30% said they would choose Afrihost if they signed up for a new fibre service, a significant increase from 26% a year earlier.

Telkom, Mweb and Cool Ideas also had a good showing, with 8% or more of consumers each saying they would pick them as their new ISP if they had to choose now.

People selected Afrihost because of its outstanding customer service, good reputation, and excellent online client portal with a large range of products.

Respondents picked Telkom because it is a household name and offers good pricing and value for money. It remains a trusted brand among many South Africans.

Mweb’s popularity comes from its competitive pricing and long-standing reputation. It is one of South Africa’s strongest ISP brands, which shows in the results.

The chart below ranks South Africa’s top Internet service providers based on brand strength.

ISP brand strength among different skill levels

The survey results revealed a clear trend — Afrihost is the preferred ISP among tech-savvy people, while Vodacom and Telkom have a very strong brand presence among non-technical consumers.

Cool Ideas performed very well among technical users, but its popularity declined quickly with consumers’ technical knowledge, as it is not a well-known household brand like Telkom.

Rain, a competitor to ISPs offering fibre and fixed LTE products, performed poorly among tech-savvy consumers. This is likely a result of its mass-market marketing strategy, which does not target tech-savvy consumers.

Afrihost, Cool Ideas, and Telkom’s strong brand awareness among tech-savvy users is good news, as most households and businesses rely on this group for their broadband purchasing decisions.

ISP brand strength in different cities

Afrihost is the preferred ISP in all the major cities in South Africa, with a good margin over the second place. The only exception is Port Elizabeth, where its sister company, Axxess, matched it.

Telkom is popular in most areas except Cape Town, where it has lost significant ground to its competitors in recent years.