SECTOR 2

being Jacaranda FM (8.5 per cent) and Ukhozi FM (5.4 per cent). The survey
also found that 83 per cent of respondents had one or more television sets in
their homes. 77 per cent of these television viewers watched Swazi TV, while
65 per cent and 50 per cent watched South African channels SABC1 and e.tv
respectively, and 37 per cent watched Channel Swazi at the time.
Telecommunications and Internet
According to the World Bank’s World Development Indicators 90 000 Swazis
(out of a population of 1.2 million) have access to internet5.
The country’s only cell phone provider MTN, which is a joint venture between
the state-run Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) and
South Africa’s MTN, provides internet access to its subscribers. However, this
is via slow and outdated Second Generation (2G) mobile data lines: “Access is
terrible. You can’t surf on the phone, and it is costly.”
MTN has applied for a license to operate faster Third Generation (3G) lines, which
are suitable for accessing the internet. However, the director of the SPTC, Mandla
Motsa, is reported saying that current legislation – the 1983 SPTC Act, which
gives the SPTC a monopoly over telecommunications services in Swaziland – does
not allow him to give MTN a 3G licence6.
The cost of MTN’s cell phone calls – E2.40 / unit peak time, E1.60 / unit off peak
(US$ 0.35 – 0.23) – is high, as is the cost of internet access. One of the internet
providers, Realnet, for example, charges E225 (US$ 32.60) / month for a 64kbs
leased line and E350 (US$ 50.72) / month for a 128kps leased line, while the
company’s pre-paid internet costs E25 (US$ 3.62) for 90 minutes access, and E50
(US$ 7.25) for 180 minutes, on top of a one-off E110 (US$ 15.94) connection fee7.

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator.

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:

2.8 (2009: 3.3; 2007: 3.1; 2005: 2.9)

5 	Accessed from: http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wbwdi&met_y=it_net user&idim=country:SWZ&dl=en&hl=en&q=swaziland+internet+penetration
6 ‘Why MTN won’t get a licence’, pp 4-5 in Times of Swaziland Sunday, July 10, 2011
7 www.swazi.com

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AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SWAZILAND 2011

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