Sub-Saharan Africa to have over 600 million unique subscribers by 2025 : The Standard

Sub-Saharan Africa will have 623 million unique mobile subscribers by 2025, a 44 per cent increase on the 456 million users in 2018, a new report says. Importantly, 483 million subscribers will be connected to Internet via their phones, with 66 per cent of them on smartphones.

The 2019 report by GSMA on the mobile economy forecasts that half of the new subscribers will come from five markets, with Kenya projected to produce nine million of them. Nigeria will contribute 31 million, Ethiopia 18 million, DRC 15 million, Tanzania 10 million and others 84 million.

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Regarding broadband speeds, the report says 3G will overtake 2G as the leading mobile technology in Sub-Saharan Africa this year, while 4G will account for almost one in four connections by 2025. Notably, the new mobile subscribers, mostly digital natives, coupled with increased Internet speeds are expected to not only boost the continent’s economy, but also shape the way businesses operate. Using mobile-enabled platforms, for example applications, some businesses have managed to eliminate inefficiencies in conventional models, as well as extend the reach of services and provide greater choice to customers. The report notes that last year, mobile operators and tech start-ups rolled out a number of digital services across a wide range of sectors, including entertainment, commerce and financial services. It established that the mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa created 500,000 formal jobs and 1.2 informal ones. Additionally, the sector contributed nearly Sh14.96 trillion in economic value to the continent in 2018, or 8.6 per cent of Africa’s GDP. By 2023, this is projected to grow to Sh19.2 trillion, or 9.1 per cent of GDP.

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The growth in numbers of subscribers, therefore, means that businesses will continue to reap the advantages brought about by the expanding mobile industry, but on a large scale. However, for companies to derive maximum benefit from this, they must continually come up with better strategies to connect with the digital consumers. This will not only encompass offering convenient mobile enabled services but also ensuring meaningful interactions with buyers on digital platforms such as social media.

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Sub-Saharan AfricaMobile SubscribersInternet