Mobile phone subscription will generate $150 billion for sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2022

The GSM Association (GSMA) has predicted that more than half the population of sub-Saharan Africa will be subscribed to mobile phone by 2025.

In its latest mobile economy report published at the just concluded GSMA ‘Mobile 360 – Africa’ event in Kigali, Rwanda, the association estimated that there will be 634 million unique mobile subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa by 2025, equivalent to 52% of the population.

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John Giusti, the Chief Regulatory Officer at the GSMA, said, “For many citizens across the region, particularly those living in rural areas, a mobile phone is not just a communications device but also the primary channel for getting online and a vital tool for improving their lives.

“More needs to be done to extend connectivity to the remaining unconnected and underserved populations across sub-Saharan Africa, but this will require a focus on long-term industry sustainability that can only be achieved through investment-friendly policies and supportive regulatory frameworks.”

Here is the analysis of the report

- The mobile ecosystem will add more than $150 billion in value to sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2022, equivalent to almost 8% of regional GDP.

- The region’s current mobile penetration rate, which is put at 44% of the population, was significantly below the global average of 66%.

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- Mobile broadband will account for 87% of mobile connections in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025, up from 38% in 2017.

- The report stated that nearly 300 million new subscribers are expected to use their devices to access mobile internet services over the next seven years.

By 2022, the region’s mobile economy is forecast to generate more than $150 billion, about 7.9% of GDP of economic value as countries continue to benefit from improvements in productivity and efficiency, particularly due to the increase in mobile internet adoption.

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