Skype phones and other voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) devices are selling well this shopping season, particularly with the more affluent consumers, says the product manager at one of the country's largest retailers.
Makro's Andrew Jackson says all types of connectivity devices have been doing extremely well among the LSM 6 to 10 income groups - the wealthier sections of South African society.
"We have seen these people are affluent and they are first time users. They want to be connected and they are buying all these devices," he says.
Rudi Jansen, CEO of Internet service provider MWeb, which launched a VOIP offering in June, says the uptake has been steady. While he does not have any December figures available yet, he has not noticed a sudden surge in interest.
"Most of our customers are in the same income categories, and while demand is there for a VOIP service, it is being hampered by the inability to make free local calls," he says.
Jansen says if wealthier people are buying the headsets and handsets, then it is a good sign as they are gearing up for something to happen.
"These guys who are buying the handsets and headsets aren't stupid," Jackson says. "They want to be connected and they are continuously Skyping each other. They want to be connected and they want the latest technology."
He says people are buying the phones that can be used for normal analogue connections and have VOIP functionality. Headsets that can be used either with a telephone connection or connect to the PC are doing well, he adds.
Jackson says these people are also buying other devices that have connectivity built in, such as multifunction devices that can scan, print photographs and copy using a Bluetooth connection, and laptop PCs with UTMS (the cellular data connection, also known as HSDPA).
He says consumers are also moving away from the simple point-and-click digital cameras to the more sophisticated single lens reflective models that often have wireless connection built in.
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