Ornico‘s Telcoms Adspend Report 2026 reveals a complex shift in how major players are communicating their value. Between July and December 2025, the sector recorded total advertising spend of approximately R708m across 109,306 executions, reflecting a landscape where marketing investment is increasingly used to defend market share and signal strategic pivots.
The report reveals a clear hierarchy in spending, led by Vodacom, which dominated the period with an investment of over R354m. This accounts for roughly 50% of the total industry spend. With 64,799 ad executions — more than double that of its nearest rival — Vodacom’s strategy appears to be focused on maintaining its position as the country’s largest operator through aggressive, broad-based consumer outreach.
In contrast, MTN followed with advertising spend of R174m. While its overall volume was lower than Vodacom’s, MTN displayed tactical volatility, specifically a dramatic surge to 6,800 executions in December. This spike likely aligns with festive season promotions and a push to capitalise on its high network quality rankings.
Telkom maintained a steady presence with R133m in spend, while Cell C trailed at R46m, reflecting a more conservative and targeted approach.
The industry is recalibrating to ensure it remains a critical tool for South Africa’s economic functioning
While insurance and financial services have seen a widening gap in consumer coverage due to economic strain, the telecommunications sector is seeing its own shift in how it reaches households. Television remains the primary medium for high-visibility strategies, with Vodacom allocating R230m to TV (19,000 ads), MTN allocating R120m (11,000 ads) and Telkom allocating R95m (7,000 ads).
Conversely, Cell C has pivoted heavily toward radio, investing R45m (6,000 ads) compared to just R5m on TV. This suggests a move toward cost-effective, regional targeting. Across the board, print media has seen minimal activity, which confirms a decisive shift toward digital, broadcast, and audio-driven engagement.
Advertising trends in late 2025 were heavily influenced by underlying technical and regulatory shifts. Reports from MyBroadband and Opensignal reveal MTN’s continued leadership in network speeds, which likely provided for more concentrated, peak-period spending rather than constant high-volume activity, according to the report.
The asset-light model adopted by Cell C explains its lower adspend. By leveraging the infrastructure of partners like MTN and Vodacom through a mobile virtual network operator framework, Cell C is prioritising lean scalability over the huge capital expenditure required for traditional network dominance. Its minimal advertising spend, says the report, is a deliberate choice, not a weakness.
Similarly, the industry-wide phase-out of 2G and 3G networks has prompted targeted campaigns to transition users toward 5G and more modern hardware.
Both operators and consumers are playing a proactive role in navigating this changing technology landscape. While the sector saw a slight December dip for most brands, the overall investment remains high as providers combat subscriber churn and promote 5G expansion.
These spending patterns are not merely about visibility, says the report, but are reflections of how each provider is adapting to a more competitive, high-tech environment. From Vodacom’s scale-driven defence to Cell C’s efficient recovery model, the industry is recalibrating to ensure it remains a critical tool for South Africa’s economic functioning.
The big take-out: Vodacom’s scale counters network ranking slips, MTN capitalises on quality wins, Telkom builds steadily and Cell C focuses on efficient recovery.
