Historic Karoo "Book Town" Richmond Achieves Exceptional 117 Mbps Mobile Speeds on MTN Network

MTN records exceptional 117 Mbps mobile speeds in the historic town of Richmond, Northern Cape, outperforming South Africa's national 80 Mbps average.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from MyBroadband

High-Speed Connectivity in the Rural Karoo

Richmond, a 183-year-old village located in the heart of the Northern Cape, has emerged as an unlikely leader in South Africa’s mobile performance benchmarks. According to the Q1 2026 MyBroadband Insights research report, the town achieved an average mobile download speed of 117 Mbps on MTN’s network. This performance is particularly noteworthy given Richmond’s geographical isolation between Colesberg and Beaufort West, proving that high-quality network infrastructure is no longer exclusive to South Africa's major urban hubs.

Comparative Network Performance Results

The research, which utilized data from over 316,000 tests performed on the MyBroadband Android speed test app between January and March 2026, showed a competitive landscape in the region. While MTN led with 116.65 Mbps, Telkom followed closely with an average download speed of 98.47 Mbps. Vodacom and Cell C also maintained strong presence in the village, recording 81 Mbps and 65 Mbps respectively. These speeds align with the fiber-to-the-home experiences typically found in metropolitan households, suggesting a robust 4G deployment across the inland plateau.

Richmond: South Africa’s Dedicated Book Town

Established in 1843, Richmond is renowned as South Africa’s "Book Town," serving as a primary destination for bibliophiles and collectors. The town is famous for its high concentration of secondhand bookstores and the annual Boekbedonnerd Festival, which draws authors and poets from across the country. Beyond literature, the village is home to one of only two museums in the world dedicated specifically to the saddle horse, showcasing equine history ranging from the Anglo-Boer War to local agricultural developments.