Telecommunications group Vodacom South Africa has achieved a significant milestone with the successful testing of SuperUpload, a 5G advanced technology that delivers uplink speeds of 254 Mb/s – the first demonstration of this capability on the African continent.

The company says this breakthrough reinforces Vodacom’s ongoing 5G network leadership in the country, particularly on speed and performance, setting new standards for how it connects customers.

Uplink speeds of about 250 Mb/s are typically associated with high-end fibre-to-the-home connections.

On SuperUpload, customers experience the same lightning-fast performance on their mobile devices, enabling seamless cloud backups, rapid large file transfers and high-quality video conferencing, all without being “tethered to a desk”, Vodacom states in a media release.

For perspective, according to network intelligence company Ookla's January 2026 Speedtest Global Index, the fastest median mobile Internet speed in Africa was 124.32 Mb/s in Morocco.

SuperUpload doubles this benchmark.

Essentially, Vodacom explains, SuperUpload allows a 5G phone to use two different channels to send data and enables it to pick the faster one automatically.

As network conditions change, the device shifts to the channel with less traffic or a stronger signal.

This results in quicker uploads, smoother video calls and more consistent upload performance when sharing large files or working in the cloud.

"We invest significantly in the modernisation of our network to the benefit of our customers. The successful testing of SuperUpload means we can continue providing a superior 5G network experience, as the investment in our network continues to pay off.

“This is not just faster uploads, it represents a fundamental shift in what mobile connectivity makes possible," says Vodacom South Africa technology director Beverly Ngwenya.

Vodacom says that while 5G initially revolutionised download speeds, the next evolution centres on uplink performance – how quickly users can send data.

It notes that modern applications from video conferencing and cloud gaming to AI tools all demand powerful, consistent upload capability.

SuperUpload directly addresses this critical need with clear benefits for customers.

SuperUpload delivers tangible advantages including up to 250 Mb/s uplink speeds, providing fibre-class performance on mobile; enhanced stability that has been optimised for video, streaming and AI-powered business applications; reduced latency that supports real-time communication and seamless collaboration; and reliable performance, with consistent speeds across varying coverage conditions.

As 5G matures, uplink capability has become a critical differentiator.

“SuperUpload enables our network to support the most demanding modern applications with the low-latency, consistent performance these applications require,” concludes Ngwenya.