MTN has the best mobile network in South Africa, according to new data from MyBroadband Insights Q3 2025 Mobile Network Quality Report.
The findings are based on over 300,000 speed tests conducted by mobile users across South Africa between 1 July and 30 September 2025.
The testing included crowdsourced data and dedicated drive tests, comprehensively assessing mobile network performance.
As part of the drive testing, MyBroadband Insights travelled 20,000 km and tested networks across South Africa’s major cities, towns, and roads.
Testing was done using high-end smartphones with support for the latest technologies and mid-range devices that reflect typical users’ experience.
To determine the best mobile network, each network was given a “Network Quality Score” based on download speed, upload speed, and latency.
The Network Quality Score out of 10 then shows how a network performed compared to other networks.
MTN had the best Network Quality Score of 9.95, followed by Cell C at 7.82, Vodacom at 7.45, Telkom at 5.74, and Rain at 4.12.
MTN consistently outperformed its competitors across the majority of metrics.
MTN recorded the highest average download speed at 93.72 Mbps, bettering Vodacom at 72.2 Mbps, Cell C at 66.64 Mbps, Telkom at 46.24 Mbps, and Rain at 22.93 Mbps.
MTN was also the best-performing network in major metros, such as Tshwane, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, and Mangaung.
MyBroadband Insights linked the strong performance to continued investment in infrastructure for both LTE and 5G networks.
Cell C retained its second place overall, with better average upload speeds compensating for the slightly slower download speed.
Cell C’s performance was driven by completing its customer migration to a virtual radio access network hosted by MTN and other optimisation strategies.
Vodacom had the best 5G performance in the country, which was driven by its ongoing investment in the latest network technologies.
The table below provides an overview of the mobile network rankings in South Africa:
| NetworkOperator | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Latency (ms) | Network Quality Score |
| MTN | 93.72 | 30.02 | 29 | 9.95 |
| Cell C | 66.64 | 29.00 | 35 | 7.82 |
| Vodacom | 72.20 | 15.60 | 32 | 7.45 |
| Telkom | 46.24 | 11.64 | 28 | 5.74 |
| Rain | 22.93 | 11.08 | 30 | 4.12 |
