IOL Reporter|Published
South Africans have always loved their phones. Today a smartphone is less a milestone than a way into work, learning and everyday life, and not everyone can afford the way in. Most South Africans can tell you about their first cell phone: the model, the colour, and the first person they called.
For many, it was a Nokia 3310 that survived every drop, or a Motorola Razr that snapped shut with a satisfying click.
It could do little more than send texts and make calls, but for the first time, there was a number that rang for you and nobody else.
You were suddenly connected wherever you went.
The Evolution of Phone Privacy and Personalisation: From Landlines to Smartphones
Before cell phones, a phone call was rarely private. It happened on the landline in the passage, where everyone in the house could hear, or at a payphone outside the Post Office, with a queue of impatient people behind you and your coins running out.
The first handsets changed that, and a whole culture grew around that freedom. Phones became expressions of personality as much as practical tools. Personalised with brightly coloured covers and lanyards, hit songs as ringtones, and favourite bands as wallpapers – all part of making the device feel distinctly yours.
That instinct never left. It simply moved to the smartphone. The brand we choose, the camera we want, the case, and the wallpaper say as much about us today as covers and ringtones once did. Upgrading still carries a small thrill, and that feeling of possibility hasn't gone away. What has changed is how much rides on it.
Although it feels like we’ve all had smartphones for years, a Pew Research Centre survey as recently as 2018 found that only about half of South Africans owned a smartphone. Four in ten still used a basic or feature phone, and nearly one in ten had no phone at all. A reminder that for some, access to a smartphone is only now becoming possible.
Overcoming Financial Barriers: Smartphone Access in Sub-Saharan Africa
For many, even economically active people, the barrier is the price they cannot meet upfront. The GSMA Mobile Economy Africa Report 2026 estimates that an entry-level smartphone costs around 24% of monthly income in low- and middle-income countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional contracts don’t always bridge the gap. According to the National Credit Regulator, of the 45.8 million consumer records held at the end of March 2025, only about 63% showed credit activity. That means approximately 16.9 million consumer records had no credit activity, and therefore no credit history – without which, they will likely struggle to get a traditional network contract.
Policy changes have helped shift towards improving access to smartphones. In April last year, the National Treasury removed the 9% luxury excise duty on smartphones priced under R2,500. The GSMA estimates that around 1.1 million additional entry-level smartphones were sold in the year that followed, while the sale of feature phones dropped, as people were able to upgrade.
Alternatives to traditional contracts have also emerged. Smartphone rental solutions are one of them, and one operator working specifically in that gap is PayJoy, a global fintech and public benefit organisation that serves more than 20 million customers across nine countries, including South Africa.
PayJoy South Africa’s country manager Deon Verster said: “too many South Africans are overlooked by traditional lenders and cellphone contracts simply because they don't have a credit history. PayJoy changes that. We give them a fair, transparent way to get the smartphone they want, and help them build a credit profile along the way. It starts with the smartphone, which becomes part of a greater journey to access. Customers rent their device, choosing from a range of brands and models.”
For some South Africans, the first smartphone moment is still happening today. PayJoy reports that around one in ten of its customers is renting their first smartphone. Access solutions aren't just helping people upgrade. By removing the need for a credit history or paying the full price upfront, they're bringing new people into the smartphone economy.
The Evolution of Smartphone Dependency: From Milestone to Economic Necessity
What has changed significantly is how much we depend on a smartphone device. A first cell phone was once a rite of passage, and life carried on without one. A first smartphone today is how you apply for jobs and grants, follow your child's school WhatsApp group, buy prepaid electricity, attend an online class, and find your way around a city you don't know.
The covers and ringtones were part of the fun, and for many people, they still are. But a smartphone is now, above all, a way to take part in the economy. The first cell phone meant people could finally be reached. A smartphone means they can reach out for work, customers, lecturers, and services, on their own terms.
That is why the excitement of a new phone still matters. When someone can’t afford the upfront cost of a smartphone, what they miss out on is no longer just the device. It’s the opportunities that increasingly depend on one.
That feeling of possibility hasn't gone away. What has changed is how much rides on it. A phone used to be a milestone. Today, a smartphone is how we apply for work, run a small business, keep up with our children’s schooling, and reach the services we rely on. The first-phone feeling is still worth having, but the bigger task now is making sure no one is left without the opportunities that come with it.