MyBroadband Insights Q3 2025 Mobile Network Quality Report has revealed that MTN is the best mobile data network in South Africa.
The report, released earlier this week, is based on 313 632 speed tests conducted by mobile users across the country between 1 July and 30 September 2025, combining crowdsourced data and dedicated drive tests.
To get the best mobile data network in the country, MyBroadBand tested MTN, Vodacom, Cell, Telkom and Rain.
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The test that proved MTN to be the best
MyBroadband serves as a comprehensive source for information on broadband, mobile networks, and the broader Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
As part of the testing, MyBroadband travelled 20 000 km and assessed mobile networks in major cities, towns, and along roads, using both high-end and mid-range smartphones.
“Testing was performed using high-end smartphones with support for the latest technologies, as well as mid-range devices that reflect the experience of typical users,” said MyBroadband
MTN reigns supreme
MyBroadBand’s testing found that MTN dominated overall network performance and consistently outperformed its competitors across the most important metrics.
MTN recorded the highest average download speed at 93.72 Mbps, while Vodacom came in second with an average download speed of 72.2 Mbps, Cell C at 66.64 Mbps, Telkom at 46.24 Mbps, and Rain at 22.93 Mbps.
MTN was also the top-performing network in major metros, including Tshwane, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, and Mangaung.
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Investment in infrastructure
MyBroadBand found that MTN’s continued investment in infrastructure for both LTE and 5G networks is the reason for its strong performance.
“Cell C retained second place overall, ahead of Vodacom, with significantly better average upload speeds to compensate for the slightly slower download speed,” added MyBroadBand.
“Cell C’s performance is driven by completing its customer migration to a virtual radio access network hosted by MTN and optimisation strategies.”
The report also found that Vodacom delivered the best 5G performance in the country, driven by its ongoing investment in the latest network technologies.
Network Quality Score
To find the best mobile network in South Africa, each network was rated using a “Network Quality Score.” This score was based on how fast the download and upload speeds were, and how low the delay was.
The score is out of 10 and shows how well each network did compared to the others.
MTN scored the highest with 9.95. Next came Cell C with 7.82, Vodacom with 7.45, Telkom with 5.74, and Rain with 4.12.
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