Two people sit together on a bus, smiling as they look at a mobile phone. One wears sunglasses on her head and a white shirt; the other has large glasses, headphones around her neck, and a pink striped shirt. Empty bus seats and windows are visible in the background.

The Mobile Economy Africa 2026

View English report
View infographic
View French report
%
of Africa's population connected to mobile internet in 2025
$
BN
contributed to the African economy in 2025
M
5G connections expected in Africa by 2030

In 2025, mobile technologies and services contributed $240 billion to Africa’s economy, equivalent to 7.8% of GDP. This contribution is forecast to reach $290 billion by 2030, driven by the continued expansion of 4G, 5G and AI.

Despite widespread coverage, almost 1 billion people in Africa are still not using mobile internet, representing 63% of the population. Mobile operators are working to close this usage gap by tackling key barriers, such as device affordability, limited digital skills and a lack of relevant content; initiatives include handset financing schemes and digital literacy programmes.

Following years of policy development and planning, operators are shifting from AI strategy to deployment, for purposes including predictive maintenance, network optimisation and customer service. The industry is also working to address Africa’s AI language gap and build the continent’s digital ecosystem, to support AI deployments at scale.

The Mobile Economy Africa report examines key trends shaping the region’s mobile industry, including the state of connectivity, AI, the usage gap, GSMA Open Gateway and more.

Regional reports

Download previous reports

Cover of a report titled "The Mobile Economy: Sub-Saharan Africa 2018." The background features abstract, layered waves in shades of purple and pink. The GSMA logo appears in the top left corner. Copyright notice at the bottom reads "© 2018 GSMA Association.
2018
Cover of a report titled “The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2019” by GSMA. It shows a smiling man wearing glasses and a button-down shirt, looking at his mobile phone. The background has shades of purple and blue geometric shapes.
2019
A smiling woman wearing a headwrap talks on a mobile phone. The GSMA logo is in the top left. Bold white text reads: "The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2020." Abstract purple and pink curved lines are at the bottom.
2020
A person in colourful, patterned clothing holds and uses a smartphone. Text over a purple patterned overlay reads: “The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2021.” GSMA logo is at the top left.
2021
A smiling man and woman take a selfie together outdoors. The cover text reads "The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2022" with the GSMA logo in the top left. Pink and purple diagonal lines decorate the bottom of the image.
2022
Two smiling Black adults stand close together outdoors, looking at a mobile phone. The woman holds the phone, and both appear happy. Text on the image reads: "The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2023." The GSMA logo is at the top left.
2023
A smiling man and woman take a selfie outdoors with a mobile phone. The image features the text: “The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2024” and the GSMA logo in the top left corner. The mood is friendly and positive, highlighting connection and technology.
2024
Three young adults, two men and one woman, smile and look at a mobile phone together outdoors. Text on the image reads: "The Mobile Economy Africa 2025" with GSMA logo at the top. The background is a clear blue sky.
2025