• Burkina Faso had the most affordable mobile phones in West Africa in 2023, at 15.1% of average monthly income

• In Cape Verde and Guinea, buying a phone cost more than 60% of an average monthly salary

• High taxes on mobile devices continue to block access to digital services across the region

Mobile phones are becoming essential tools for financial and digital inclusion in Africa. But in many West African countries, affordability remains a serious barrier. A recent report from the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index highlights how wide the gap still is when it comes to buying a basic mobile device, measured as a percentage of average monthly income.

In 2023, Burkina Faso recorded the lowest relative cost in the region, an average mobile phone there cost about 15.1% of a person’s monthly income. The Gambia followed at 19.5%, with Niger close behind at 21.2%. These figures reflect relatively low prices in relation to earnings.

The situation was far more difficult in places like Cape Verde and Guinea. In both countries, the cost of a mobile phone equaled about 72.2% and 64.2% of a person’s monthly income, respectively. For most people, that amounts to nearly two-thirds of their monthly earnings, well beyond reach for low-income households. This sharply limits access to essential digital tools such as online education, financial services, and up-to-date information.

Benin (25.1%), Togo (28.9%), and Mali (29.0%) fell into a mid-range category. But even larger economies like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, despite having dynamic telecom sectors, showed high relative costs at 55.9% and 47.1%, respectively.

These figures point to a deeper problem: the cost of the device itself is one of the biggest barriers to digital inclusion in Africa. While mobile data prices have dropped and 4G networks are expanding, the purchase price of the phone continues to hold many people back, especially the poorest.

One of the key reasons mobile phones remain expensive in some countries is tax policy. According to GSMA data, mobile device taxes vary widely across West Africa and have a major impact on affordability.

Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Ghana applied very little tax, ranging from 0% to 0.1%. But other countries, like Senegal, imposed taxes as high as 100% of the device’s base price.

In Nigeria, buyers faced a 72.5% tax on phones, while in The Gambia it was 64.08%. In economies where household income is already low, these tax burdens make an already expensive device even less accessible. As a result, millions remain excluded from the digital economy, despite steady improvements in 3G and 4G coverage.

For many governments, taxing mobile phones is a source of much-needed revenue. But the downside is clear. High taxes make it harder for people to afford the very tools they need to connect to digital services. This slows progress on national goals such as digital transformation, mobile banking, and online government platforms.

Several economists argue that reducing taxes on mobile devices would encourage wider access to personal phones and, over time, expand the tax base. As more people come online, governments could collect more through taxes on digital services such as mobile payments, e-commerce, and streaming.

As African countries push toward greater digital sovereignty, mobile phone affordability has become a central issue. Without access to the most basic devices, digital inclusion will remain limited, and with it, the broader promise of the digital economy. Governments now face a critical decision: align tax policy with digital ambitions, or risk leaving millions behind.