Sub-Saharan Africa is at a critical point in its digital journey. Mobile internet is more available than ever before, with coverage reaching deeper into rural and remote areas. Networks are expanding, new towers are going up, and 4G and even 5G footprints are growing. On paper, this should be the beginning of a new era of inclusion. Yet, the reality is far more complex. 

The latest GSMA State of Mobile Internet Connectivity  report captures this contradiction with striking numbers: in 2024, 65% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population—about 790 million people were not using mobile internet, even though they lived within the footprint of a broadband network. In other words, hundreds of millions are covered, but not connected. 

This single statistic tells a story of paradox: coverage has grown, but usage has stalled. The digital divide is no longer primarily about physical access to networks. It is about why people, even when covered, remain disconnected. 

This raises a critical question: if the infrastructure is in place, why are so many still excluded from the digital economy? This #TechTalkThursay article looks into this. 

“So, when we look at the opportunity today to unlock the millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who are close to a 3G or 4G signal but have never used mobile internet, we ask ourselves: what is the challenge? What is the major barrier behind this? Why are they not going online? The question is no longer about coverage, but why so many remain offline.”

-Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA  

 

What Changed Between 2023 and 2024: A Two-Year Snapshot

Looking at the year-on-year picture helps put this in perspective.

In 2023, about 27% of the region’s population was using mobile internet, roughly 320 million people. The usage gap stood at 60%, while the coverage gap was 13%. Women were still 32% less likely than men to use mobile internet, though that marked a slight improvement from the year before. Almost two-thirds of subscribers were on 3G phones or feature phones, devices that limited what they could actually do online.

In 2024, things shifted but not entirely for the better.

The percentage of users fell slightly to 25%, or 300 million people. The usage gap widened to 65%, representing 790 million people. Encouragingly, the coverage gap dropped to 10%, thanks largely to expansions in rural networks. Sub-Saharan Africa even accounted for 75% of the world’s reduction in coverage gaps that year.

Yet the overall effect was sobering. Three out of every four people in the region remained offline in 2024, a higher proportion than the year before. The progress in coverage has not translated into a rise in adoption. The real struggle has shifted: building networks is no longer the hardest part; bringing people meaningfully online is.

“The usage gap is a major concern. Raising awareness, providing education, and offering training are crucial so that people truly understand the value and benefits of being connected. Without that understanding, they won’t fully embrace or utilize the connectivity available to them.” 

– Dr Oscar Ondo, CEO, GITGE

 

Beyond Coverage: Why Millions Stay Offline

The persistence of the usage gap in Sub-Saharan Africa shows that connectivity is not only an infrastructure issue. The barriers lie in economics, skills, awareness, and trust.

Cost is perhaps the most daunting barrier. In 2024, an entry-level internet-enabled handset cost the poorest 20 percent of the population the equivalent of 87 percent of their monthly income. For many, the price of entry is impossibly high. Data affordability has improved, yet a 20 GB bundle still costs 15 percent of monthly income on average. For families already stretched thin, the internet becomes a luxury, not a necessity. 

“Affordability is a multifaceted issue. It’s not just about the inability to pay; it’s about the perceived value of the service compared to its cost.”

-Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA

Take geography. Rural residents remain at the margins of digital life. Adults in rural areas are still nearly 50 percent less likely to use mobile internet than their peers in urban centres. This is not simply about the presence of a tower, but about weaker infrastructure, limited educational opportunities, and fewer economic reasons to adopt the internet.

Gender remains a defining challenge. Although the gap has narrowed, women are still 29 percent less likely than men to use mobile internet. This reflects wider structural inequalities—lower incomes, unequal access to schooling, and restrictive social expectations. Without addressing these, digital inclusion will remain incomplete.

Even for those who connect, the experience is often limited by the devices in their hands. Six out of ten mobile internet users in the region still depend on 3G smartphones or feature phones. These devices permit basic access but rarely allow participation in more advanced digital services like e-learning, streaming, or mobile banking. The internet may exist in theory, but its value is curtailed in practice.

Then there are barriers of knowledge and awareness. In some parts of the region, up to 40 percent of people have never even heard of mobile internet. Even when awareness exists, literacy and digital skills pose another hurdle. For women, older adults, and rural populations, the lack of confidence in using technology keeps adoption rates low.

Finally, safety and trust have become major factors. Concerns about scams, fraud, harmful content, and identity theft discourage many from expanding their use of the internet. The issue is not just about connecting, but about whether people feel safe enough to stay connected.

This web of obstacles explains why coverage is expanding while usage stalls. Simply put, networks are not enough. The human and social realities that surround connectivity are now the real frontier.

 

Why Closing the Usage Gap Matters

The consequences of inaction are enormous. According to the GSMA, closing the global usage gap could add $3.5 trillion to GDP between 2023 and 2030, with more than 90 percent of the benefits flowing to developing regions. Sub-Saharan Africa stands to capture a significant share of this growth.

But the benefits are not only economic. Mobile internet is a lifeline for education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and resilience in times of crisis. It enables farmers to access weather data, students to learn online, and entrepreneurs to reach new markets. When three-quarters of a population remain offline, the region risks missing out on far more than GDP growth; it risks being excluded from the very systems that define participation in the modern world.

“Getting online has enormous and undeniable socioeconomic benefits to individuals and societies. Essential services such as healthcare, education, e-commerce and banking are now most commonly accessed online, and for billions of people this primarily means on mobile.”

 –Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA

 

Moving From Coverage to Meaningful Connectivity

So, what needs to change? The conversation must shift from coverage to meaningful connectivity. That means focusing on affordability, literacy, digital safety, and relevance—so that when people do connect, they can do so productively and safely.

Governments must lead with policies that reduce the tax burden on devices and data, making handsets and connectivity affordable. Targeted subsidies for underserved groups can help close the gap more quickly. They must also build regulatory environments that attract investment into both traditional networks and alternative technologies that can reach the hardest-to-serve communities. 

“A device at $30 could make handsets affordable to up to 1.6 billion people who are currently priced out of connecting to available mobile internet coverage. To produce this will require a concerted, collaborative effort between the mobile industry, device manufacturers, policy makers, financial institutions and more, but it is a responsibility we all must shoulder.”

-Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA

Mobile operators and technology companies must innovate on affordability. Handset financing, low-cost smartphones, and creative data pricing can make a tangible difference. Improving network quality is equally important—coverage without reliability will not inspire trust.

Development organisations, civil society, and local innovators must focus on digital literacy and locally relevant content. Training that builds confidence in digital skills, especially among women 

Above all, closing the gap requires a deliberate focus on women, rural communities, and the poorest households—those most at risk of being permanently excluded.

 

The Next Leap for Africa’s Digital Future

Sub-Saharan Africa has long been known for its ability to leapfrog through technology. Mobile money proved that innovation could bypass old barriers and deliver transformative change. The same spirit must now be applied to the challenge of connectivity.

Infrastructure is only the beginning. The future of Africa’s digital transformation will depend on whether millions of people can move from being covered to being connected, and from being connected to being meaningfully included. The numbers in the GSMA report are sobering, but they also point to a clear opportunity. Closing the usage gap is not only possible; it is essential for the region’s development.

The task ahead is to ensure that connectivity becomes more than a footprint on a map—it becomes a reality in people’s lives. 

“The challenges we face, from closing the usage gap to enhancing digital skills and ensuring affordability, are significant, but they are not insurmountable.”

-Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA