Based on a survey conducted in 2021, most South African internet users were classified in the living standard measure (LSM) bracket 3-6. Some 47 percent of internet users in the last 12 months were in that bracket. Moreover, individuals with a higher rating, LSM 7-8, were the second-largest group of internet users, followed by those within LSM 9-10, at close to 21 percent.
The LSM tool divides the population into 10 groups, 10 being the highest living standard level and one being the lowest. The tool categorizes people according to their living standards with criteria such as ownership of major appliances. Consequently, it is used as an instrument to identify target markets for the distribution of consumer goods in a given country.
Distribution of internet users in South Africa in 2021, by living standard measure
January 18 to May 14 and July 13 to September 31, 2021
Number of respondents
24,666 respondents
Age group
15 years and older
Special properties
The data was collected in two waves
Supplementary notes
Respondents who have accessed the internet in the last 12 months.
Living Standard Measure (LSM) is a way of segmenting people into different groups based on social and living standards, in line with their belongings. The higher the LSM, the higher the socioeconomic status.
TGI/AskAfrika, annually interviews 24,666 respondents aged 15+ living in urban areas with 8,000 or more inhabitants, using a stratified random probability sample. The data is weighted to the South African national statistics service, "Statistics South Africa's" population estimates, which allow for an accurate representation of 27.76 million South Africans.
To ensure a nationally representative sample, the survey is based on enumerated area (EA) sampling.
Percentage points exceeding 100 percent are probably due to rounding.
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Ornico, & World Wide Worx. (June 30, 2022). Distribution of internet users in South Africa in 2021, by living standard measure [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341109/distribution-of-internet-users-in-south-africa-by-lsm/
Ornico, und World Wide Worx. "Distribution of internet users in South Africa in 2021, by living standard measure." Chart. June 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341109/distribution-of-internet-users-in-south-africa-by-lsm/
Ornico, World Wide Worx. (2022). Distribution of internet users in South Africa in 2021, by living standard measure. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341109/distribution-of-internet-users-in-south-africa-by-lsm/
Ornico, and World Wide Worx. "Distribution of Internet Users in South Africa in 2021, by Living Standard Measure." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341109/distribution-of-internet-users-in-south-africa-by-lsm/
Ornico & World Wide Worx, Distribution of internet users in South Africa in 2021, by living standard measure Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341109/distribution-of-internet-users-in-south-africa-by-lsm/ (last visited November 24, 2024)
Distribution of internet users in South Africa in 2021, by living standard measure [Graph], Ornico, & World Wide Worx, June 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341109/distribution-of-internet-users-in-south-africa-by-lsm/
