Only 1.2% of internet users in sub-Saharan Africa were connected to 5G in 2024, according to the latest broadband connectivity report from the International Telecommunications Union and UNESCO.
More than half of all mobile connections were using 3G, while just over a third used 4G, indicating that many on the continent rely on slower internet than other users globally, despite investments in African internet infrastructure totaling $28 billion over the last five years.
“This sluggish transition underscores a growing digital divide that could undermine Africa’s competitiveness in the global digital economy,” TechCabal’s Frank Eleanya wrote.
Successful rollouts of 5G across Africa could add $26 billion to the continent’s economy by the end of the decade, according to mobile industry trade body GSMA Intelligence. However, without offering affordable services in rural areas as well as urban centers, 5G “risks remaining a premium service for a small elite,” Eleanya warned.