South Africa's IoT Connectivity Landscape in 2025

South Africa's Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity landscape is undergoing some significant transformations as legacy networks are phased out and new technologies emerge.

Here are three critical trends that will define the country's IoT ecosystem in 2025.

1. 2G/3G Network Sunset and Migration Challenges

The planned shutdown of 2G and 3G networks represents a pivotal shift in South Africa's telecommunications infrastructure. Mobile operators are preparing to refarm spectrum for more efficient 4G and 5G services, creating both challenges and opportunities for IoT deployments. Many IoT devices in South Africa, particularly in sectors like security, asset tracking, and point-of-sale systems, still rely heavily on 2G/3G connectivity. This network sunset requires organisations to undertake significant device upgrades and migrations,as many deployed devices were designed for extended lifecycles on these legacy networks. Although government-mandated deadlines have changed multiple times over the years, the sunsetting of 2G and 3G is inevitable, albeit now with some more time for IoT solution providers to phase out the millions of devices that are still deployed. 2025 should see accelerated migration of devices to either 4G or NB-IoT connectivity.?

Key considerations for IoT providers include:

• Planning device replacement cycles to avoid service interruptions.
• Managing the costs of hardware upgrades across large device fleets.
• Ensuring new solutions maintain or improve current coverage levels.
• Implementing migration strategies that minimize operational disruption.

2. NB-IoT Network Expansion and Adoption

Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is emerging as a cornerstone technology for South Africa’s IoT future. As operators seek efficient alternatives to legacy networks, NB-IoT offers a scalable solution tailored to the unique needs of the South African market.

Key benefits of NB-IoT for South Africa's IoT providers include:

• Deeper indoor penetration, ideal for urban applications.
• Extended battery life, crucial for remote deployments such as metering.
• Cost-effective connectivity, suitable for large-scale sensor networks.
• Efficient spectrum utilization, supporting massive device density.

Major South African mobile operators are rapidly expanding NB-IoT network coverage to beyond urban centers and industrial hubs and now covers over 8,000 sites covering at least 80% of the population. This expansion has unlocked new use cases with improved efficiency and reliability.

Transformative NB-IoT applications in South Africa:

• Utilities: Smart water and electricity metering.
• Agriculture: Soil monitoring and irrigation control.
• Smart Cities: Parking management and waste collection optimization.
• Security: Asset monitoring, tracking and alarm systems.

3. eSIM Technology?

The adoption of eSIM technology is set to simplify how IoT devices connect and operate across South Africa. Unlike traditional SIM cards, eSIMs offer unparalleled flexibility and streamline IoT deployments. Currently available on selected consumer devices, this trend will slowly start moving towards IoT devices given that the global GSMA SGP.32 standards were finalised in 2024. These are the global technical specifications for the remote eSIM management of IoT devices.?

Key benefits of eSIM technology:

• Remote SIM provisioning, reducing operational costs.
• Simplified logistics for device deployment and management.
• Flexibility to switch operators without physical SIM replacement.

Looking Ahead to 2025

The convergence of these three trends - 2G/3G sunset, NB-IoT expansion, and eSIM adoption - is reshaping South Africa's IoT connectivity landscape. To thrive in this evolving environment, organisations must:

• Develop clear migration strategies from legacy networks.
• Evaluate NB-IoT capabilities for specific use cases.
• Keep an eye on developing eSIM technology for future deployments.
• Use scalable and network-agnostic connectivity management platforms to support growth.

As South Africa continues its digital transformation, these connectivity trends will play a crucial role in enabling more efficient, reliable, and scalable IoT solutions. Companies that proactively adapt to these changes will be better positioned to harness IoT technologies for a competitive edge in 2025 and beyond.

Hein Koen is Executive Director at Flickswitch, which provides their SIMcontrol IoT connectivity management service across 7 African countries.???