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Despite 85 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population living within the reach of a 3G or 4G mobile broadband network, only about 25 percent are actually online.
This stark digital divide threatens to leave millions behind as the rest of the world races ahead with next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and satellite connectivity, reports African.business.
The barriers to connectivity are many: expensive smartphones, high data costs, limited access to electricity, a lack of locally relevant content, and persistent digital literacy gaps, particularly in rural and marginalized communities.
Angela Wamola, head of Africa at the GSM Association (GSMA), says the first step to bridging this divide is putting more smartphones into people’s hands. Millions across the continent still rely on basic feature phones, and even entry-level smartphones remain unaffordable for many.
“Getting online is about access to the tools. Our biggest imperative is bringing affordable smartphones to the majority of our population. It’s the biggest opportunity in Africa,” she said.
Even with budget smartphones now available for as little as US$100, a GSMA study, Accelerating Smartphone Adoption in Africa, shows that buying a device still costs about 26 percent of monthly GDP per capita.
For the bottom 40 percent of the population, it consumes as much as 67 percent of their monthly income, and for the bottom 20 percent, over 80 percent.
Wamola emphasizes that AI can play a major role in lowering the cost of producing locally relevant digital content, giving more Africans a reason to go online.
However, she noteed this required integrating African languages into global AI models—a priority GSMA is pursuing with major mobile operators such as MTN, Orange, Airtel, and Vodacom.
“We are taking a collective approach to ensure AI models reflect the continent’s linguistic diversity, cultural identity, and market realities. It’s about building local content that is relevant and valuable, so every person in Africa can find a reason to connect online,” Wamola explained.
AI-powered voice-to-voice translation technologies allow users to communicate in their native language, with messages translated and responses returned in the same language, removing the need for advanced digital skills.
Investing in AI infrastructure is equally critical. Currently, Africa accounts for less than 2 percent of global data center capacity and under one percent of AI infrastructure.
“As we expand infrastructure, we must also grow the skills and capacity of our people, so the continent can leapfrog and fully benefit from AI opportunities,” Wamola said.
Closing the digital divide in Africa will require a combination of affordable technology, localized content, and robust AI infrastructure—but experts agree the rewards could be transformative, unlocking new economic and social opportunities for millions of Africans.
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