Johannesburg - Forty seven percent of South Africa's population finds that using the internet has improved their self confidence, according to a global survey released on Monday.
“We have seen that the internet can become addictive, some of the most engaged are those people in markets where internet access has been limited - as soon as the infrastructure becomes available people make the most of it,” said TNS chief development officer Matthew Froggatt.
The survey's findings show that advances in infrastructure open up the markets for newcomers to the internet to realise the potential to expand their world and the opportunities available to them.
When asked if the internet helped to improve their self-confidence, just 12 percent of those online in France and Germany agreed, compared to 42 percent of internet users in China, 52 percent in India and 55 percent in Vietnam.
“In South Africa 47 percent told us the internet helped to improve their self confidence. This peaks in Saudi Arabia where almost four out of five internet users - 79 percent - feel more confident online,” TNS said in a statement. - Sapa