The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2020 - The Mobile Economy
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the digital landscape around the world. The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa has largely risen to the challenge of keeping individuals and businesses connected during the pandemic, despite changes in data consumption patterns. However, with nea…
Article summary:
- Sub-Saharan Africa had 300 mobile internet and 778 cellular subscriptions per 1,000 people in 2017. However, there is a significant gap between subscriptions and unique users, particularly for mobile phone connections. Looking at unique mobile subscribers, only half of the region’s population is covered, with the number closer to 25 percent for mobile internet subscriptions.
- They conclude that the potential benefits of achieving universal mobile phone and internet access are significant.
- The World Bank’s biannual publication “Africa’s Pulse” has a special chapter on “leveraging the digital economy to eradicate poverty in Africa.”
