• Morocco ranks first in Africa with average mobile speeds of 124.32 Mbps, placing 39th globally.

• South Africa and Tunisia follow with 65.70 Mbps and 57.30 Mbps respectively.

• Gulf countries dominate globally, with the United Arab Emirates posting 686.12 Mbps.

The Speedtest Global Index ranks Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia as the African countries with the fastest mobile internet in 2025, according to data published in February 2026 by Ookla, a U.S.-based company specializing in global internet network performance analysis.

The index measures mobile network performance using millions of tests conducted by real users. The index evaluates download speeds, latency and connection stability to establish a comparative hierarchy among countries. The index expresses average speed in megabits per second (Mbps), which serves as a key indicator of digital maturity.

Across Africa, performance levels reflect uneven investment in telecom infrastructure, particularly in next-generation mobile networks and data transport capacity. Connectivity quality is increasingly shaping economic competitiveness, digital services development and the attractiveness of technology investment.

Morocco Clearly Leads in Africa

Morocco ranks first in Africa with an average mobile speed of 124.32 Mbps, placing 39th globally. The country’s performance reflects accelerated deployment of next-generation networks, including 5G, and ongoing modernization of mobile infrastructure.

South Africa ranks second with 65.70 Mbps, placing 64th globally. The country maintains its status as a major digital hub in Africa, supported by significant investments from leading telecom operators and a relatively mature telecom ecosystem.

Tunisia ranks third with 57.30 Mbps, placing 72nd globally. The country benefits from sustained efforts by national operators to modernize mobile networks and deploy 5G. Operators including Orange Tunisie, Ooredoo and Tunisie Télécom have launched 5G services. Structural investments, including internationally financed projects aimed at expanding coverage and network capacity, are supporting this progress.

Behind the top three, several African economies post intermediate performance levels. These results reflect gradual digital transformation while highlighting persistent regional disparities.

Gulf Countries Dominate the Global Ranking

At the global level, Gulf economies dominate the hierarchy after investing heavily in digital infrastructure. The United Arab Emirates ranks first worldwide with 686.12 Mbps, followed by Qatar at 593.34 Mbps, Kuwait and Bahrain. These countries benefit from early 5G deployment, high spectrum availability and modern network infrastructure.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya 

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum 

Ranking of African countries by average mobile internet speed (2025)

1. Morocco — 124.32 Mbps (39th worldwide) 
2. South Africa — 65.7 Mbps (64th)
3. Tunisia — 57.3 Mbps (72nd)
4. Algeria — 53.62 Mbps (78th)
5. Kenya — 45.37 Mbps (80th) 
6. Nigeria — 44.14 Mbps (85th)
7. Egypt — 44.51 Mbps (83rd)
8. Libya — 22.34 Mbps (103rd)