More than three-quarters of South African metropolitan residents who use the Internet do so daily and over three-quarters of those use their cellphones to do so.
This is according to data from BMI-TechKnowledge's recently-released SA Consumer Digital Lifestyle Research Programme (DLP).
"The cellphone is, as expected, the most used device when performing any of the tested Internet activities," says Clinton Jacobs, BMI-T's senior research analyst for the DLP project.
The DLP surveyed 1 500 respondents in metropolitan areas and found that over half of urban Internet users access Facebook, browse the Internet, and listen to music online on a regular basis.
Just under a quarter of respondents said they accessed the Internet on a computer at home and 79% of those did so by means of a 3G/HSDPA data card or dongle, while only 22% said they used ADSL.
BMI-T's Digital Lifestyle Measure (DLM) classifies consumers into four groups ? DLM1 (low-tech), DLM2 (less-tech), DLM3 (more-tech), and DLM4 (high-tech) ? based on the extent of their digital lifestyles.
This classification of digital lifestyle is calculated by measuring: the types of digital goods the consumer has at home (digital ownership score), their usage of technology (digital usage score), and their attitudes towards technology (digital attitude score).
BMI-T says computer penetration in South African households is strongly correlated with DLM and household income. The study found more tech-savvy respondents without PCs show little desire to obtain one in future.
When looking at the primary reason many consumers do not have PCs in their household, respondents said it was because they cannot afford one. Of the consumers who would like to get a computer, the most common driver is for their children's educational needs, as well as their own education purposes.
Tablet ownership saw an increase, with the 2015 results showing 12% of urban metro respondents have a tablet PC, compared to 7% in 2013. Younger and more tech-savvy respondents show the highest interest in crossover PC/tablets.
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