South Africa ranks number one in Africa and dropped by six places from last year to 72nd in the world, cyber security company Surfshark said in its fifth annual Digital Quality of Life Index study.   

South Africa performed best in internet affordability, claiming 52nd place, while facing challenges in e-infrastructure, ranking 94th, Surfshark said in a statement.     

In the overall Index, South Africa surpassed Kenya (76) and Nigeria (88). Overall, African countries lagged behind in the Index, but South Africa took 1st place in the region, the company said.

Surfshark, which is a brand of VPN services offered by a Netherlands-based company of the same name, said that in many nations, the 'digital quality of life' has merged into the broader concept of overall 'quality of life'.     

"There’s no other way to look at it now that so many daily activities, including work, education, and leisure, are done online," Surfshark's spokeswoman Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske said.     

"That’s why it’s crucial to pinpoint the areas in which a nation's digital quality of life thrives and where attention is needed."    

South Africa’s internet quality is just around the global average, the study shows. Compared to Kenya, South Africa’s mobile internet is 79% faster, while fixed broadband is 228% faster.

Fixed internet averages 70 mbps in South Africa, the study showed. Singapore has the world’s fastest fixed internet at 300 Mbps, while the slowest fixed internet in the world was Yemen's at 11 mbps.    

Mobile internet averages 68 Mbps in South Africa, while the fastest mobile internet is the UAE's at 310 Mbps, and the world’s slowest mobile internet was found to be in Venezuela at just 10 mbps.

South Africa is 72nd in the world in e-security, falling seven places lower than last year.

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com)