Introduction of Mobile Technology in South Africa

Historical Timeline (1948 – 2010)

Normally an academic would not feel that their age would have relevance to their topic, however I believe that my age was an instrumental aspect for choosing this field of study. As of December 2012, I will be a 40 yr old female, residing in South Africa. I would like to refer to my generation (both male and female) as the “cusp”[1] group, having firsthand experience of growing up within a time frame of slow or little technological advancement, specifically relating to mobile telephony and internet access (mid 80’s – early 90’s) then transitioning toward a period of rapid technological changes (mid 90’s – present). Many people like me, belonging to this “cusp” group have known what life was like having never ‘surfed the net’ or owned a cellular phone, but now live in a world where a mobile phone is a essential commodity and being plugged into the World Wide Web is a daily reality. My age and personal experiences from within the South African context places me at an ideal place for retrospection and commentary on how this transitional phase has impacted my life.

In order to create a contextual time line for this study as it relates to the introduction and progressive growth of cellular technology in South Africa, it would be imperative to briefly touch upon the political history of apartheid[2] and how it had direct repercussions on technological development as well as public and social services. Due to the segregation of racial groups geographically, fixed line telephone systems serviced more affluent predominantly ‘white’ residential areas located close to commercial city centres, which made up less than 10 percent of the country’s total population.

For the years prior to 1995, supporting research shows ICT[3] infrastructure was severely lacking in ‘non-white’ residential suburbs as well as rural areas. The emergence of mobile phone networks in 1994 catalysed the expansion of infrastructure and extended global communications to previously marginalised groups.

After the rise of mobile telephony in South Africa, ICT access began to expand and wide range of communication, education, and engagement opportunities became more widely available (Beger & Sinha 2012:9).

Telkom®[4] was the first government owned and regulated Telecommunications Company during the early 1990’s. Being the only service provider in South Africa at the time, Telkom enjoyed a national monopoly on the industry, but the socio-political climate began to change with South Africa becoming a democratic state on 1994.

When South Africa became a democratic country on 27 April 1994, not only did it result in a fundamental change in the political landscape, but it also ushered in a new constitutional legal order unparalleled in the country's history….…….. For the first time in the country's history the constitution included a Bill of Rights that has attracted the greatest interest and has, and continues to have, the greatest impact on the lives of millions of people in South Africa. (Abrahams[5] 2008: 1)

The ‘impact’ Abraham speaks of refers to the new laws emancipating people and communities from the yoke of apartheid, however very few could have predicted the coinciding technological impact mobile telephony would have on everyday South Africans entering a global world.  Vodacom®[6] began operating officially in South Africa on 1^st June 1994 as the first mobile network service provider. The first month attracted 50 000 subscribers and by the end of October these figures had doubled due to a strategic move by Vodacom® to roll out its network on 3,000km of national highway . As the year drew to a close, many people were embarking on annual vacations, with the national media highlighting the rising crime statistics related to high jacking and car theft during this period[7], many consumers opted to carry a mobile phone for security reasons. After this initial upsurge Vodacom has continued to attract subscribers and by the 2004 was recorded to have 9, 7 million subscribers[8] (http://www.africanwireless.com/vodacom_history.htm). These initial figures were the first indication that there was a growing market for mobile communication in South Africa.

MTN®[9] also received its operating licence in 1994 and began operating shortly after Vodacom had launched. As a JSE[10] listed company MTN® has since secured 37% of the market share in South Africa and provides voice, data and telemetry solutions to 20 million subscribers (http://www.mtn.co.za/ABOUTMTN/Pages/MTNSA.aspx). Cell C®[11] opened its doors in 2001 and as soon as 2004 already boasted 3 million subscribers (http://www.cellc.co.za/explore/additionalinfo/vision-and-mission). Virgin Mobile®[12] joined the approved list of mobile service providers in 2006 and most recently as the fifth official network provider, 8TA®[13] in 2010. All these companies are currently competing within the GSM[14] environment for a market share in South Africa’s growing demand for the latest mobile devices and reliable signals.

Since the growth of ICTs, many South Africans living in urban and rural communities are able to explore, share, and access digital information through mobile and computer Internet connectivity. From 2005 to 2009, the number of South Africans owning, renting and/or having access to a mobile phone increased by 20 per cent, and the country now experiences 100.48 per cent mobile penetration89 among its total population of 50 million……..Expanding quickly, with over 620 million mobile connections as of September 2011, Africa bears the second largest mobile market in the world. In the last ten years, the number of mobile connections in Africa has grown an average of 30 per cent per year and is forecast to reach 735 million by the end of 2012. South Africa houses the third largest number of mobile subscribers in the continent, after Nigeria and Egypt. (Beger & Sinha 2012:5-6)

The rapid expansion of mobile usage in South Africa can be measured in terms of subscriber growth which has been documented in the figures above, as well as on many sites that reflect the latest international GSM statistics[15].  Continued research and the collecting of market related data in this industry would be beneficial for key stakeholders and even government, in order to provide better service delivery and products.

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[1] ‘When one situation ends and another begins. A time when one situation or stage ends and another begins’ (Encarta Dictionary: English UK)

[2] “A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group over another. In South Africa it was a system of legal racial segregation enforced by the National Party government between 1948 and 1994, during which time the rights of the majority 'non-white' inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and minority rule by white people was maintained” (http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_resources_mobilegeneration.pdf).

[3] Information & Communications Technology.

[4] ‘Telkom has been operating as a commercial company since October 1991 and is the largest provider of communications services in Africa, according to operating revenue and assets’ (http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/communications.htm#telkom).

[5]  Charles Abrahams is a lawyer & Senior Partner who has worked for plaintiffs on cases including: Anglo Platinum (displacement in South Africa); AngloGold Ashanti (silicosis in South Africa); Gencor (asbestosis in South Africa); various companies (re apartheid in South Africa).

[6] The first South African based mobile telecommunications company.

[7] “Several serious crimes increased at a faster rate than the average between 1994 and 1999 such as rape (21%), car hijacking (20%), serious assault (22%), housebreaking (25%) and common robbery or robbery without a weapon (121%)” (http://www.gatedcomsa.co.za/crimeinsa.html).

[8] Vodacom South Africa Statistics (http://www.cellular.co.za/africa/south-africa/vodacom/vod-details.htm)

[9] A Multi-national telecommunications company based in Africa and the Middle East (http://www.mtn.co.za/ABOUTMTN/Pages/MTNSA.aspx).

[10] Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

[11] Cell C is South Africa's third cellular operator

[12] Virgin Mobile is the 4^th mobile network service provider as a result of a joint-venture between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Cell C (http://www.virginunite.com/Templates/bio.aspx?bioType=SouthAfricanBusinessActionCaseStudies&nid=521199a2-5847-4ec0-bca1-19052a110da8&id=502c722f-8215-4b65-a597-668bbb8f2c36).

[13]‘The local mobile telecommunications market, with fixed-line operator Telkom launching its own cellular offering, branded as 8ta (Heita!). (http://www.southafrica.info/business/economy/infrastructure/8ta-151010.htm)

[14] Global System for Mobile Communications

[15] (http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats/b)

Beger, G, Sinha, A. South African mobile generation: Study on South African young people on mobiles. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_resources_mobilegeneration.pdf (accessed on 25/09/12).

Practical Art Making Component of Study

The Practical Art Making process at present consists of two projects: The first is entitled ‘Quiet Dialogues’ which is heavily based on the constantly accumulating corpus of text samples, which I would like to refer to as ‘SAmpleTXT’ .  The method [via CMC] of collecting data for the Text Samples will be incorporated into the final work as well as aspects of the content which will serve to inform and direct my own social dialogue presented. Due to this conceptual hinging, SAmpleTXT will accumulate organically prompting me to change and adapt my approach along the way, the more I infer from the data.  

The second project entitled ‘Visual Poems’ begins with a very limited digital palette, the QWERTY   keypad and the format would be a mobile device screen size and capacity to display a single message without having to scroll down. A key concept that I am working with is the idea of a “limitation”, when using a mobile keypad and its fixed range of graphic characters or symbols. It is my belief that it’s this very restrictive medium when utilised for texting, prompts users to find unorthodox and often creative ways to communicate sometimes complex thoughts. After reading the work of Andrew Wilson (Wilson 2003: 7-96) who writes poems that consists only of a 160 characters (7bit scheme for a single SMS) . I was inspired to create a range of visual poems which incorporate both textisms and visual symbols to convey thoughts and ideas.


 Traditionally the genre of literature and poetry resides in printed publications and books, the idea of these short intimate writings existing as code and being transmitted via radio signals into the ether, then finding their way to recipients is intriguing. The digital poem transcends in value and becomes transient, as the artist removes the fickle, disposal nature of instant text and SMS and attempts to embed meaning and personal sentiment, code becomes symbols for human emotion and memory. If the first key concept for this project was “limitation” then the second would be “contradiction”, of the purpose or original intention of what many consider a lower order method of communication. In order to speak in this digital language to a computer mediated audience, I intend using mediums like mobile phones, computer software, apps, projections, the internet and a digital camera but will also include traditional drawing material when conceptually applicable. Final work will take the form of short animations, slide projections and prints. Formats would be LCD screens, print on paper and photographs. 

POPTXT: Popular Texting

During contact lectures on campus I noticed the ease and convenience with which student’s embraced texting  on their mobile phones  to communicate with peers, friends and family. I was fascinated at how written English which often posed a communicatory stumbling block for me in a formal academic sphere could be adapted to function so effectively within an informal social context. Not only was it effective, people seem to find immense pleasure in sending and receiving messages, be it from a friend living in another province or from a fellow student sitting in the adjoining lecture room. Considering that I text regularly, as do colleagues, friends and family, some admitted as often as much a 10 -20 times a day, I realised it is indeed a ‘popular’ activity, thus the name “POPTXT”. 

“POPTXT” has exciting possibilities as an exploration within the realm of visual art as it attempts to unpack a relatively new conceptually untapped, cultural phenomenon, rooted in human interaction. The aim of this study is to prove that the use of mobile  digital text messaging  started in the mid nineties in South Africa as a quick and cost effective short hand communication, but has in recent years evolved into a medium of creative expression and of social identity. The term ‘digital text messaging’ for the purposes of this study will include both SMS and IM formats as facilitated by most current versions of Smartphone’s® and Android™  brands. 


Research Strategy

This study will consist of three main parts: (1) Theoretical Research; (2) Technical Research and a (3) Practical Art Making Processes which will be informed by the first two parts. Each part will be explained in greater detail within this section, however it is important to note that all research streams will be channelled toward building a practical body of art work that will grow conceptually not only from the theory, discourses and sample analysis  of digital text messaging but from the very dynamics and social interaction the medium affords. 

The Theoretical Research will be subdivided into the following chapters: Historical Timeline (introduction, growth of mobile technology in SA); Discourse of Text Messaging (2008-current articles, statistics, views); The Mobile Phone as a medium (characteristics; Functionality; CMC); Visual Art Research (local and international artists/exhibitions focusing on texting/mobile phones as a medium or process) and Linguistics (English written and spoken, orthography and graphology). By extrapolating data applicable to my topic from these multidisciplinary fields, I intend to contextualise the infiltration and impact of mobile technology on the South African market.  I will also assemble evidence that since the introduction of mobile phones in the early 90’s as an object of luxury, status, security and practicality, 18yrs later it has become meshed into the fabric of our culture, fused into our daily routines and has altered the way we communicate forever. 

The Technical Research will focus on collating a corpus of text samples which will be analysed for typical characteristics of textisms . I first came across the word ‘textisms’ in an article by Beverly Plester, Clare Wood and Victoria Bell as a collective term given for various types of abbreviations that occur in text messaging, I would like to use this term in the same context within this document. I also use the term ‘typical’ as in the discourse and study of the nature and physical attributes of texting, many linguists  have recognised certain commonalities that occur in bodies of samples collected. The use of textisms has been placed into five categories  the first being: Rebus or letter/number homophones (C U L8R), the second being phonological reductions (nite; wot; wuz), the third is symbols (&@+), the forth is acronyms (WUUP2-what you up to?) and lastly the fifth is a casual register referred to by the aforementioned writers as “Youth Code” (wanna; gonna; hafta; me bro, dat) (Plester, B; Wood, C & Bell, V 2008: 141). For the purposes of this study, I have included a sixth category of graphic symbols as the use of mood indicators or emoticons  are relatively a new option offered to users with Smartphones®. 

A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will be applied to the corpus sample. I intend to use social networks such as Face Book® and Twitter ® to acquire large groups of random participants, as well a small focus group, the only criteria being that participants must reside in South Africa. A web site and interactive questionnaire will set up for the collection of data pertaining to participants. Due to the personal nature of text messaging, issues of privacy and anonymity must be addressed for both sample groups, however the smaller group would possibly be acquaintances, friends and colleagues willing to divulge and discuss the finer nuances of their digital texting behaviour over a period of time. The reasoning behind using both qualitative and quantitative methods is to make available the opportunity to study large bodies of samples for the scope and data it could offer for this study and others relating to text communication within a South African context. The corpus could also serve as a comparative data source for studies conducted from other emerging countries. The qualitative aspect features in the smaller focus group of individuals; this may reveal more subtle cues of daily social interaction that could be insightful or lost with larger random groups. Knowing the participants personally whether from a work, family or socially will allow me to glean their texting mannerisms over a given period of time, and hopefully through mutual trust acquire an insider’s view to this form of social interaction.

What is this Project About?

"SAmpleTXT" is a social project based within a South African context. It forms part of the research segment of my Masters of Visual Art Thesis entitled "POPTXT:The use of Human Signs & Symbols as a mode of Creative Expression and Social Identity within the Medium of Digital Text Messaging"
The study relies on acquiring participants from social networks like Face Book & Twitter. Participants of all backgrounds and ages are required to fill out a short Online Questionnaire about their texting behavior/preferences etc. All information is kept private and anonymous. A random text "sample" which can be an "SMS" or "IM chat" must be submitted for analysis.
This study will contribute to the body of research available on cell phone technology and it's effect on emerging societies. Very little hard evidence is available within a South African context, which makes this study very exciting and pertinent.
Be apart of this and follow the project till final exhibition, knowing you have contributed. All stages will be posted Online, so if you are from SA get involved.