Free Internet Speed Test
South Africa
Measures download, upload, ping & jitter — fibre, LTE, 5G & ADSL
South African Internet Speed Guide
South Africa's internet landscape has changed dramatically with the rollout of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and 5G networks. Whether you're on Telkom fibre, Rain 5G, Vodacom LTE or MWEB ADSL, this free speed test gives you an accurate, real-time measurement of your actual internet speed — not just the advertised speed from your ISP.
Typical SA Internet Speeds by Provider
These are typical real-world speeds measured from South African users. Your actual speed may vary based on your package, location and time of day.
| Provider | Type | Download | Upload | Typical Ping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telkom | Fibre / ADSL | 10–200 Mbps | 5–100 Mbps | 8–25ms |
| Vodacom | Fibre / LTE | 10–500 Mbps | 5–200 Mbps | 10–40ms |
| MTN | LTE / 5G | 10–300 Mbps | 5–80 Mbps | 15–45ms |
| Rain | 5G / 4G | 10–300 Mbps | 5–60 Mbps | 15–50ms |
| Vox | Fibre | 20–1000 Mbps | 10–500 Mbps | 5–15ms |
| MWEB | Fibre / ADSL | 4–200 Mbps | 2–100 Mbps | 8–25ms |
| Axxess | Fibre / LTE | 10–200 Mbps | 5–100 Mbps | 8–30ms |
| Cool Ideas | Fibre | 25–1000 Mbps | 12–500 Mbps | 5–15ms |
How to Get the Most Accurate Speed Test Result
Use a wired connection
Connect your device directly to your router with an ethernet cable for the most accurate result. Wi-Fi adds variability.
Close other apps and tabs
Streaming, downloads, or updates running in the background will lower your measured speed.
Test during off-peak hours
LTE and fibre networks get congested between 18:00–22:00. Test in the morning for your ISP's best performance.
Run multiple tests
Run 3–5 tests and compare the results. If there's a big difference between them, you may have intermittent issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good internet speed in South Africa?
For general browsing and HD streaming, 10–25 Mbps download is considered average in SA. 50–100 Mbps is good for households with multiple users or 4K streaming. Anything above 100 Mbps is fast by South African standards. If you're on a 100 Mbps fibre package and consistently testing below 80 Mbps, contact your ISP.
Why is my speed slower than my package speed?
Several factors cause this: Wi-Fi (use ethernet for full speed), router age (old routers can't handle fast fibre), peak hours (18:00–22:00 are busiest), network congestion at the ISP level, and the server you're testing to. If your wired speed consistently tests below 70% of your package, log a support ticket with your ISP.
What is ping and why does it matter?
Ping (latency) is the round-trip time for data between your device and a server, in milliseconds (ms). Lower is better. Under 20ms is excellent for gaming and video calls. 20–50ms is good. 50–100ms is acceptable. Above 150ms will cause noticeable lag in video calls and online gaming. Most SA fibre connections to local servers land between 5–20ms.
What internet types are available in South Africa?
Fibre (FTTH) — fastest and most stable, available in most urban areas via Openserve, Vumatel, Frogfoot, Herotel and others. LTE/4G — widely available from Telkom, Vodacom, MTN and Rain. 5G — growing coverage in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria from Rain, MTN and Vodacom. ADSL — legacy copper lines via Telkom, being phased out. Fixed Wireless — rural and semi-urban coverage from Herotel, Afrihost and others.
How can I improve my internet speed?
Quick wins: restart your router (unplug for 30 seconds), move closer to the router or use ethernet, upgrade your router (a router older than 3 years may bottleneck your fibre), reduce connected devices, and check for firmware updates on your router. If none of that helps, log a fault with your ISP — they can check line quality from their end.
What is jitter and does it affect my internet?
Jitter measures the consistency of your connection — how much your ping varies over time. Low jitter (under 10ms) means a stable connection, ideal for VoIP calls, Zoom and Teams. High jitter causes choppy audio and freezing video. Fibre typically has much lower jitter than LTE or fixed wireless connections.
How does this speed test work?
This tool uses M-Lab's NDT7 protocol — the same open-source testing infrastructure used by Google's speed test. It connects to the nearest test server (typically in Johannesburg for South African users) and measures your actual throughput using real data transfers. Results reflect your current real-world speed, not theoretical maximums.