Cell C Tops South Africa’s Telecom Industry for Network Quality in DataEQ 2026 Index

An independent read of more than 652,000 public consumer conversations places Cell C among the industry’s strongest performers on customer experience and alone at the top on network quality- with the report also flagging clear priorities for the year ahead.

Cell C  has been recognised as one of South Africa’s leading mobile network providers for both customer experience and network quality in the 2026 SA Telecoms Customer Experience Index, an independent study by data science company DataEQ that analysed more than 652,000 public customer conversations across Facebook, X and HelloPeter between October 2025 and March 2026.

On network quality, Cell C was the industry’s leading performer, achieving a Net Sentiment score of plus 45 percent and standing out as the only provider in the country to record a positive score in this category. Every other major network landed in negative territory on the same measure, some as low as minus 94 percent. According to the report, the positive conversation was driven by experiences of reliable connectivity, particularly in areas where customers felt competing networks were underperforming, a result that reflects Cell C’s model as an asset-light modern network operator, built to focus investment on network performance and customer-facing reliability.

On customer experience, Cell C was one of only two operators to achieve a positive Operational Customer Experience Net Sentiment score. Its result of plus 11% outperformed an industry average of minus 8%, a gap that reflects thousands of everyday interactions going right where competitors’ went wrong. The report linked that positive sentiment to network coverage, data reliability and a strong sense of value among customers.

On data specifically, Cell C scored a positive plus 12%, with customers describing its offering as consistent and predictable and reporting fewer complaints about bundles depleting or data not crediting than the industry average.

The index also points to where Cell C has more work to do, particularly in customer service resolution times and account administration. This feedback is being treated as a direct input into the business’s service investment priorities over the year ahead, alongside continued focus on network reliability and value.

“Our customers have always been our greatest source of insight and accountability. This recognition is meaningful because it reflects the voices and experiences of the people we serve. Being recognised for both customer experience and network quality tells us that customers are seeing the impact of the work being done to consistently improve reliability, consistency and value. We also take seriously what this data tells us about where customers still expect more from us, particularly in how quickly and effectively we resolve their queries. That is where our focus turns next.”

– Melanie Forbes, Chief Marketing Officer, Cell C