Africa’s 5G access is well below the global average of over 20%, highlighting the challenges of connectivity.
According to a new report from the International Communications Union and the United Nations Education and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 20% currently access 5G networks, with over 20% accessing the global average and 5G networks.
The state of broadband in Africa in 2025 states that while Africa has made significant advances in mobile connectivity, the latest wireless technology remains largely out of reach for the continent’s 1.24 billion residents.
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However, industry forecasts suggest that this could change dramatically over the next decade, with 5G expected to reach 17% penetration by 2030.
The slow 5G rollout contrasts sharply with Africa’s mobile success stories in the previous generation of wireless technology. Currently, the 3G network reaches 77% of the continent’s population, with 4G coverage reaching 44.3%.
“The mobile sector has proven particularly successful due to the significant growth in mobile broadband and the development of large mobile operators,” the report says companies such as MTN and Vodacom cite as key drivers for expansion.
“However, despite living in areas provided by mobile broadband infrastructure, there is still a significant usage gap as 710 million Africans don’t use the internet,” he adds. An important barrier is the affordability of mobile phones and the lack of digital skills.
Chinese companies like Huawei have more competitively priced products and have managed to establish a strong presence throughout Africa as a result.
The technology mix across sub-Saharan Africa shows that 3G connections still dominate at around 50% of all mobile connections, while 4G accounts for 33%. Legacy 2G networks maintain 10% of the connection, and 5G constitutes the remaining percentage.
In some countries, such as Somalia, we have seen mobile connectivity flourish, primarily because of it, despite the lack of central authority. Large telecom companies have set up large networks that cover urban areas, covering remote areas in the country, with one British researcher comparing Manchester and Mogadishu unfavourable.
Mobile operators have spent $28 billion over the past five years across sub-Saharan Africa and have invested heavily in infrastructure development. Going forward, the industry plans to invest another $62 billion between 2023 and 2030, much of which will focus on deploying and expanding 5G networks.
The mobile ecosystem has already made a significant contribution to the African economy, generating 7.3% of gross domestic product (GDP), worth $140 billion in economic value, supporting 3.7 million jobs across the region in 2023.
Regional disparities within Africa reveal harsh contrasts in connectivity progress.
The use of the internet in Africa increased from 25% to 38% between 2019 and 2024, well below the global average of 68%. Sub-Saharan Africa is the laggest with 38% connectivity, with regional variations from 35% in the eastern and South Africa to 39% in West and Central Africa.
Africa was divided globally from city to city to city with internet connections. Only 57% of Africans had an average of 83% and only 23% in rural areas.
Rwanda appears as a specific success story, followed by market liberalization in 2006, and the telecommunications transformation emerges. The country has developed a wholesale open access 4G LTE network through a public-private partnership with Korea News.
Satellite connectivity is expanding rapidly, with Starlink already operating in 14 African countries, including Benin, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, but South Africa clearly has no launch dates. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia have become the latest African countries to access Starlink this year.
