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South Africans in Cape Town and Johannesburg Pay Much More For Internet Usage Than New Yorkers (qz.com)
South Africa may have some of the world's cheapest cities to live in, but using the internet in Cape Town and Johannesburg is surprisingly expensive by global standards. From a report: South Africans living in the country's two major cities spend more on their monthly internet costs than people living in New York, Tokyo, and even the perennially expensive Zurich, according to a report by Deutsche Bank. When comparing life in the global financial capitals, most other things, from rent to the cost of a cappuccino, were far cheaper in Johannesburg and Cape Town, making the cost of getting online even more of a shock to the pocket. Out of 50 cities surveyed, Joburgers spent the second most on monthly internet, beaten only by oil-rich Dubai. The amount shelled out by Capetonians ranked seventh behind Dublin, San Francisco, and Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, according to the report, which compared daily prices and living standards of cities around the world.
Switzerland has a 90% penetration rate of internet users, while South Africa has a 50% rate. Next, South Africa is connected to the rest of the world by relatively expensive internet connections on a per-user basis due to the position in the globe and usage. This results in a higher cost per user when actual expenses are accounted for as compared with a location like NYC or Zurich. This is simple economics.
This is going to sound impolite but it's because their government has absolutely no experience governing and has no idea what they're doing. They can't stop crime, inflation, grow food, or do basically anything. It's a complete free for all over there.