Telecommunications in developing countries: Reflections from the South African experience

South Africa has embarked on a process of privatisation of telecommunications while at the same time aiming to extend telecommunications services to a larger proportion of the population. The article reviews the debates on privatisation and international experience with a particular emphasis on issues of economic development and regulation. The experience of South Africa is then analysed in terms of different indicators of performance, the regulatory record and the progress on service extension. The findings indicate that there have been undoubted gains in the quality and range of services. However, in common with other countries, the South African case also highlights the importance of strong capabilities in regulation, and the problems of service extension under a shift to private-sector imperatives.