Pondering Panda, which forms part of Alan Knott-Craig Jr’s World of Avatar group, has found that 78% of cellphone users in SA experienced dropped calls last month. The survey has also found that although all of SA’s networks had similar levels of dropped calls, MTN performed marginally worse than its rivals.

Pondering Panda made use of social chat service Mxit, a sister company in the World of Avatar stable, to conduct the research.

The study polled 2 212 cellphone users in SA. More than half of respondents were aged between 18 and 24 and a further quarter were between 15 and 17.

It also revealed the worst places in SA to try and make a successful call. Though the survey results show that the level of dropped calls is a problem across the country, the highest number of dropped calls of those surveyed occurred in Durban, Kimberley and Pretoria. The next worst places to complete a call successfully, according to the survey, were Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Shirley Wakefield, co-CEO of Pondering Panda, says the level of dropped calls should be of concern to operators as it is causing “significant customer dissatisfaction”.

She says that with complaints coming in about all network operators, it appears that porting to another network doesn’t solve the problem for frustrated consumers. “There is little point in porting to another network as the problem appears to be universal.”

Asked how they respond when call is dropped, most respondents (31%) said they placed the call again. Fewer than 12% said they waited for the other person to call or send them a text message.