Life in standard definition: how your tech perspective shifts moving from London to SA

Could I live with the slow internet speeds in South Africa? Not a standard interview question, but relevant considering I was about to make the move from London to Johannesburg. My answer was an assured “Yes”. I don’t know why I lied. Had I answered “no” would I have still got the job? Probably.

The point is, yes, Internet speeds are getting faster in South Africa but for someone who is used to a domestic download speed of 80 mbs, with the capacity to stream 2K resolution video – without buffering – direct to my Smart TV, it is not moving fast enough.

I am not a typical consumer of digital content and definitely consume above the London average: I work in digital media; I consider myself an early adopter; I use my smartphone for just about everything and I prefer to stream content via online media players rather than watch live TV (or at least I used to).

I use technology to organise my world. I respond negatively to cynics who are convinced that my “unhealthy” attachment to my phone causes me to disconnect from the real world in a form of anti-social escapism. Being connected helps me facilitate a busy social and professional lifestyle: it empowers me to have the kind of experiences I deem necessary to create the original ideas my clients deserve.

I recently moved to my current agency from its holding company’s London office. There, employees are encouraged to lead digital lives: to immerse themselves in new technology. This is something I hope to instill in my team in Johannesburg. By doing so we arm ourselves with a deep understanding of current trends: knowledge that informs better digital ideas. It won’t help us predict the future, but it will prepare us for whatever Google or Apple throw at us next. It makes us more agile.

South Africa is lagging behind most of the developed world and key developing nations with regards to infrastructure. Recent data suggests that it is pointless developing mobile apps for business in South Africa, as most South Africans use their smartphones for entertainment, primarily rich media delivered via social channels. This is indicative of where London was about five years ago and I don’t see why South African attitudes won’t eventually align with the rest of the world. Attitudes to digital content in South Africa will need to mature at an accelerated rate in order to catch up with the rest of the world and new tech companies will have to spring up like wildfire to fill the demand.

The key to unlocking the potential in South Africa is access to the internet, whether it is via mobile or fixed broadband lines. The appetite is there: Cisco’s Visual Networking Index predicted that between 2013 and 2018, mobile data traffic in South Africa will have a compound annual growth of 53% and will reach an annual run rate of 2 Exabytes by 2018.

According to recent research carried out by PwC, Nigeria, followed by South Africa and Kenya, will experience the fastest growth in internet access revenue globally during the next five years. The growth will be supported by operator billing for apps, removing the need to pull out the credit card.

The biggest hurdle preventing access to technology and the internet is the massive economic divide. Access to technology is widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots. A quick Google search reveals that both MTN and Vodacom have developed, and are continuing to develop, their own affordable branded devices. Both mobile operators have access to unparalleled research data, enabling them to manufacture products that their customers are likely to be interested in purchasing.

Data continues to be an expensive commodity and the providers need to work hard to bring these costs down. We need to make the internet accessible for everyone. Doing so will make it more economically viable for entrepreneurs to start developing South African mobile solutions, while also ensuring there is a healthy user base for the apps they develop.

Broadband costs are astronomically high in South Africa. Russia pays the equivalent of R300 pm for download speeds of 80 mbs, according to Fin24. Another Fin24 article meanwhile states that you can now get a solid fibre broadband line in South Africa for R3 000 to R4 000 pm (down from R30 000 – R40 000 last year) that enables download speeds on par with first-world countries. Despite the massive reduction in cost, it remains out of reach for the average household. The broadband infrastructure will take longer to implement and South Africans have already adopted a mobile-first attitude, so this is where we need to focus our attention.

The 4G connection in South Africa is, in my experience, superior to London. My connection would often drop off, even in the posh borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It is a welcome surprise. I wouldn’t have a problem streaming content to my TV via my iPhone’s personal hotspot: but not at a cost of R259 for 2 gigabytes of data (according to the current Vodacom pay as you go data tariff). That would be like paying approximately R3 000 to watch the first season of Better Call Saul. No wonder video rental stores still exist in South Africa.

In a country that needs to develop and mature quickly, we as digital marketers are perfectly placed to help our clients develop solutions that transcend ordinary marketing services and facilitate a more functional attitude to content and technology amongst South African consumers. We need to become digital protagonists.