According to a British travel study, South Africa’s low 4G speeds – among other factors – make it a brilliant digital detox destination.
Market research from travel booking company Hayes & Jarvis recently ranked South Africa as the 12th best digital detox destination (see others further down). According to the company, the land mass is largely undeveloped, making it ideal for those wanting to go off the grid or simply enjoy Mother Nature.
According to the booking company, SA’s low 4G speeds (15.43 Mbps) allow you to disconnect more easily from digital life. The many national parks and our road-trip-ready landscapes make it one of the best places to get away from the bustle of our busy, often urban, lives, and this is the case too for prospective tourists from afar.
SA ranks 12th on the list of best digital detox destinations. Here are some stats which, for once, work in our favour:
– Population density (people per km²): 46.42
– Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 11,378
– Free Wi-Fi hotspots per tourist: 1.11
– 4G availability: 63.12%
– 4G Mb speed: 15.43 Mbps
– Park percentage of country: 3%
Other countries to feature on the list include Costa Rica (ranked first), Ireland (third), Oman (sixth) and Ireland, coming in last for the top 20.
Even though we have a better understanding of the country’s economic landscape, it feels rather nice to know that we’re not too spoilt in relation to our supposed first-world counterparts. We have such immense natural beauty right on our doorsteps.
Image: Emil von Maltitz
