More than half the population of Sub-Saharan Africa will be subscribed to a mobile service by 2025.
According to the latest edition of the GSMA’s Mobile Economy report series, published at the GSMA ‘Mobile 360 – Africa’ event being held in Kigali this week.
The new report forecasts that there will be 634 million unique mobile subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa by 2025.
It is equal to 52% of the population, from 444 million at the end of last year.
The report also calculates that the mobile ecosystem will add more than $150 billion in value to Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2022, equivalent to almost 8 percent of regional GDP.
“For many citizens across the region, particularly those living in rural areas.
A mobile phone is not just a communications device but also the primary channel for getting online.
And a vital tool for improving their lives,” commented John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer at the GSMA.
“More needs to be done to extend connectivity to the remaining unconnected and underserved populations across Sub-Sahara Africa.
But this will require a focus on long-term industry sustainability that can only be achieved through investment-friendly policies and supportive regulatory frameworks.”
Meeting the Affordability Challenge of a Youthful Population
Sub-Saharan Africa has been the world’s fastest-growing mobile region.
In recent years but subscriber growth is slowing as the industry faces the challenges of affordability and a youthful population.
The region’s current mobile penetration rate is significantly below the global average of 66%.
Further, according to the World Bank, around 40 per cent of the population in the region are under the age of 16.
A demographic segment that has significantly lower levels of mobile ownership than the population as a whole.
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