First P3 benchmark in South Africa to assess AI-Services and AI-Readiness alongside classic network quality
Stuttgart, Germany / Johannesburg, South Africa, November 9, 2026
Independent telecommunications consultancy P3 has published the results of its 2026 Mobile Network Benchmark for South Africa, comprising a nationwide benchmark and two dedicated city benchmarks for Johannesburg and Cape Town. MTN South Africa is named Mobile Network Test Champion nationwide and in Johannesburg, while Vodacom South Africa takes the Test Champion title in Cape Town.
Results at a glance
| Benchmark | Test Champion | Score |
| South Africa (nationwide) | MTN South Africa | 7.490 / 10.000 points |
| Johannesburg | MTN South Africa | 8.045 / 10.000 points |
| Cape Town | Vodacom South Africa | 7.730 / 10.000 points |
Nationwide
South Africa: MTN achieved 7.490 out of 10.000 points. In addition to the overall title, MTN won eleven category awards: Voice, Data, Media, AI-Services, AI-Readiness, Reliability, Performance, Urban, Non-Urban, Consumer Experience and Industry Experience.
City Benchmarking
Johannesburg: MTN achieved 8.045 out of 10.000 points. MTN also won ten category awards in the city: Voice, Data, Media, Coverage, AI-Services, AI-Readiness, Reliability, Performance, Consumer Experience and Industry Experience.
Other MTN network coastal performance: indicated coastal leadership with Durban and Gqeberha.
Cape Town: Vodacom achieved 7.730 out of 10.000 points. In addition to the overall title, Vodacom won five category awards: Data, Media, AI-Services, AI-Readiness and Performance.
Additionally, inland leadership was indicated for Vodacom in Bloemfontein.
AI-Readiness assessed for the first time in South Africa
For the first time in South Africa, P3 also evaluated AI-Services and AI-Readiness. As AI applications become part of everyday life, networks must deliver low latency, strong uplink performance and outstanding reliability. MTN led both AI categories nationwide and in Johannesburg; Vodacom led both categories in Cape Town.
“Congratulations to MTN as well as Vodacom on these outstanding results,” said Hakan Ekmen, CEO of P3. “MTN’s titles nationwide and in Johannesburg and Vodacom’s win in Cape Town reflect continuous investment in the network quality customers experience every day. As AI applications become part of everyday life, low latency, strong uplink and reliable connectivity matter more than ever. Their wins in AI-Services and AI-Readiness show that both operators are building the foundation for South Africa’s AI-driven future.”
Methodology
The benchmark is based on P3’s independent, globally consistent benchmarking methodology, combining drive tests with large-scale crowdsourced data.
- South Africa nationwide: Drive tests from May to June 2026, covering 104 urban areas and 10.480 km. With 216 million crowdsourced samples covering 94.0% of the population.
- Johannesburg: P3’s measurement teams drove 605 km across the city in May 2026. The drive tests were complemented by more than 45.8 million crowdsourced samples, covering Johannesburg’s entire population.
- Cape Town: In June 2026, drive tests covered 450 km of the city’s roads, backed by more than 14.8 million crowdsourced samples representing 100% of Cape Town’s population.
The full certificates for South Africa, Johannesburg and Cape Town are available at: Benchmarks
About P3
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P3 group
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Phone: +49 151 195 383 05
Mail: segen.belay@p3-group.com
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