• The cost of a smartphone equals 26% of monthly GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 16% in other low- and middle-income countries.

• Only 24% of the region’s population owns a smartphone, even though 33% of the world’s unconnected population lives there.

• The GSMA and major African telecom operators aim to produce $40 4G smartphones to accelerate digital inclusion.

The high cost of smartphones continues to limit mobile internet adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report released on March 2 by the GSMA.

The report states that the price of a smartphone represents about 26% of monthly GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa. By comparison, the cost represents 16% of monthly GDP per capita in other low- and middle-income countries.

The report, titled “The Mobile Economy 2026,” identifies device affordability as the main factor behind the relatively low level of smartphone adoption in the region.

Sub-Saharan Africa hosts 33% of the world’s unconnected population, while only 24% of the region’s population owns a smartphone, according to the GSMA.

Mobile internet coverage has expanded significantly across the region. However, adoption has not kept pace with infrastructure deployment.

The coverage gap, which measures areas without mobile broadband networks, has narrowed sharply over the past decade. The gap fell from 41% in 2015 to 9% in 2024.

However, the usage gap has widened over the same period. This indicator measures people who live in areas covered by mobile broadband but do not use mobile internet.

The usage gap increased by about 20 percentage points during the last decade and reached 63%.

Several factors explain this trend. Many consumers lack smartphones, digital skills or sufficient income to access mobile internet services.

The GSMA has launched an initiative to accelerate smartphone adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa. The association plans to produce 4G-compatible smartphones priced at around $40 in collaboration with major African telecom operators.

The initiative includes six operators: Airtel Africa, Axian Telecom, Ethio Telecom, MTN Group, Orange and Vodacom.

The GSMA also works with device manufacturers and technology partners to establish common technical specifications. These standards aim to enable large-scale production of affordable smartphones that could accelerate digital inclusion across the continent.

Several African countries will host the first pilot projects for low-cost smartphones in 2026.

The selected markets include Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The initiative builds on the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition, a global coalition launched in July 2024 to make mobile devices more affordable for low-income populations.

The coalition had 25 members by September 2025, including mobile operators, device manufacturers, ecosystem players, financial institutions, international organizations and philanthropic foundations.

The partnership focuses on removing three structural barriers to device affordability. Members aim to reduce taxation on entry-level devices, redesign cost structures to enable mass production of ultra-low-cost smartphones and develop innovative financing models that improve device accessibility.

5G Expected to Reach 21% of Connections by 2030

The report also outlines the future development of advanced mobile networks in Sub-Saharan Africa. The region could record 382 million 5G subscriptions by 2030.

Fifth-generation mobile networks would account for 21% of total connections in the region by that time.

However, this share remains significantly lower than other regions. The report estimates 5G penetration at 95% in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, 89% in North America, 82% in Europe and 50% in Latin America.

This article was initially published in French by Walid Kéfi

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum