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The GSMA has revealed that sub-Saharan Africa will remain the world’s fastest-growing mobile region over the coming years as millions of young African consumers become mobile users for the first time

The GSMA’s new study found that by the end of 2025, more than 160mn new mobile subscribers will be added in the region. The report identified Nigeria and Ethiopia as the main drivers of growth.

The mobile economy is also expected to generate almost US$185bn (9.1 per cent of GDP) by 2023 from US$150bn in 2018.

Akinwale Goodluck, head of sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA, said, “A new generation of youthful ‘digital natives’ across sub-Saharan Africa are set to fuel customer growth and drive adoption of new mobile services that are empowering lives and transforming businesses.”

“With mobile technology at the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital journey, it is essential for policymakers in the region to implement policies and best practices that ensure sustainable growth in the mobile industry and enable the transition to the next-generation mobile network,” he added.

At present, around 239 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to mobile internet – around 23 per cent of the total population. This year, smartphone connections accounted for 39 per cent of all mobile connections, with that figure predicted to grow to two thirds by the end of 2025.

The report highlighted that this year 3G will overtake 2G to become the leading mobile technology in sub-Saharan Africa. It also stated that mobile operators in the region are increasing investment in their networks and are expected to spend US$60bn (Capex) on network infrastructure and services between 2018 and 2025 – almost a fifth of this total is being invested in new 5G networks.

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