Death of the phone call

How often do you answer calls from unknown numbers? If your response is “never”, you're in a clear majority, not just in South Africa, but internationally. Most people, including me, simply won't pick up the phone if they're not sure who is calling.

A 2020 survey by Pew Research found that 80% of adults in the US often ignore calls by unknown numbers. Two years later, a survey by Transaction Network Services found that 75% of adults in the US never answer calls from unknown numbers, and a study by Hiya (a caller- ID service) in early 2025 found that call centres report 80% of outbound calls going unanswered.