Over 82% of the South African population owns a mobile phone and the African continent in general has been the scene of huge growth in the mobile telecommunications market over the last half a decade. It wasn`t until the South African government took a step back from their controlling position in the South African telecommunications industry that the market was able to grow to the state that it is in today. The two major networks operating out of South Africa are Vodafone and MTN. The latter is a home grown network which has experienced huge growth in Africa and the Middle East. As a result, there is a large market for the latest mobile phone handsets in South Africa and these are the top 5 models of 2009.

Apple iPhone 3Gs

Continuing their innovation within the smartphone industry, Apple`s latest iPhone is by far the best yet. The biggest improvements are a 3.2 mega pixel camera which can also record video, the latest version of Apple`s mobile operating system and up to 32GB of onboard storage space.

Nokia 5800

Nokia`s range of music phones have in the past been slightly weedy when it comes to features, but this touch screen example is the best yet. With a large screen and a fully featured list of applications and multimedia capabilities this is the perfect mid-range smartphone. Like all top smart phones it has Wi-Fi and GPS navigation built in for constant connectivity.

Blackberry Curve 8900

Blackberry`s handsets are still the first choice of the rich and powerful in the world of business, journalism and politics. This is largely thanks to their superlative email functionality and their full QWERTY keypads which make typing text extremely simple. Not only is the Curve good value but it stays true to the business roots whilst adding a few welcome extras like a decent digital camera. It lacks the huge onboard storage space offered by near rivals Apple and Nokia, but the pedigree and favourable reviews make this a serious handset with a playful side.

Samsung Jet S8000

The Jet is a well balanced and stylish smartphone that won`t break the bank. It has a large touch sensitive screen and a decent digital camera. It also has HSDPA connectivity for fast downloads and mobile internet browsing if you are in an area of good 3G network coverage. It gets its name from the high powered processor which is designed to give you a silky smooth user experience. However, in practice this extra horsepower will not be noticeable to those who have used phones manufactured by the competition.

Sony Ericsson W995

The walkman range of mobile phones from Sony Ericsson had shown a trend of decreasing popularity in recent years as their unique selling point became more common. However, the W995 has revived the series thanks to its additional multimedia capabilities. Owners can watch YouTube videos and catch up on their favourite shows with BBC`s iPlayer software using the W995.