Africa’s Usage Gap: Covered, but Still Offline

Here is a figure that will astound you. While only 9% of the people living in Sub-Saharan Africa live without mobile broadband services, an astounding 63% of those having access to such services do not use them.

That difference has a name: the usage gap. It is now the main barrier between the region and a fully connected digital economy. For app makers, from banking to sport, it decides how many people they can actually reach. A service like Afropari ng, which depends on users opening a page on their phone, shares the same challenge as any news site or payment app. So why does the gap exist, and what is being done about it?

From a Coverage Gap to a Usage Gap

A decade back, the primary challenge was the network itself. In 2015, 41% of the population in the region did not have access to mobile broadband coverage. However, in 2024, this percentage dropped to 9%, according to data by GSMA reported by Ecofin Agency[1] .

The network infrastructure has improved through the erection of towers, expansion of 3G and 4G, and introduction of signals into remote areas. However, despite this development, the number of internet users increased at a much lower rate. The usage gap grew by around 20% points to reach 63%.

To put this simply, the signal is available, but not everybody is accessing it.

The Price of a Smartphone

The first factor is money. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the price of an entry-level smartphone constitutes 26% of the GDP per capita on a monthly basis. In other developing countries, the cost is at 16%.

This means that a smartphone is one of the most expensive goods to buy. This is evident from the fact that in the region, only 24% of the population have access to a smartphone. Moreover, Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 33% of the world’s unconnected people.

Other factors include high data costs, low digital skills, and lack of local content. Why use an app which is not in your language, consumes lots of data and requires you to have the latest smartphone?

The Key Figures at a Glance

Indicator	Figure	Year
Population outside mobile broadband coverage	9%	2024
People covered but not using mobile internet	63%	2024
Smartphone ownership in the region	24%	2026 report
Smartphone cost as share of monthly GDP per person	26%	2026 report
Economic value of mobile across Africa	$240 billion (7.8% of GDP)	2025
Forecast economic value of mobile	$290 billion	2030
Projected 5G subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa	382 million (21% of connections)	2030

Sources: GSMA via Ecofin Agency[2]  and The Mobile Economy Africa 2026[3] .

The $40 Smartphone Plan

The industry now seeks to solve the cost challenge directly. In 2026, the GSMA together with six operators including Airtel Africa, Axian Telecom, Ethio Telecom, MTN Group, Orange and Vodacom, are developing 4G smartphones costing about $40.

Pilot markets include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, amongst others. The aim is simple: With cheap 4G phones available, many more people will be able to get online within coverage areas.

This program lies under a broader initiative. GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition was formed in July 2024 and had grown to include 25 companies by September 2025. Its objectives are to reduce tariffs on entry-level handsets, lower costs of large-scale manufacturing and more flexible payment systems.

What It Means for Apps and Services

This gap will determine new priorities when developing digital products in this region. In some cases, the lighter an application is, the better – rather than having many functions.

Here are several options for designing to target those users with low-cost smartphones:

• Light installations files and small data consumption per session.
• Fast-loading pages on 3G and even unstable 4G.
• Compatibility with old versions of Android OS.
• Easy login process which does not require high internet speed.
• Localized content – not just in English and French languages.

A good example of such products are sports and betting applications. The customers of these apps usually stay on pages for only a few seconds, sometimes using prepaid data. If the page loads slowly, the customer will close it. Each betting product should provide information about the minimum age limit and budgeting tools.

The Bigger Economic Picture

Mobiles are already a significant sector of the economy. The GSMA[4]  Intelligence estimates that the economic value of mobile technology and services in Africa was $240 billion in 2025, accounting for 7.8% of GDP. It accounted for 13 million jobs and $45 billion in public revenue.

The GSMA predicts that by 2030 the economic value will be $290 billion. If even some of the usage gap closes, then this figure would be even higher due to the increased demand of the additional user for the internet.

5G will also make its contribution, but to a lesser degree. The GSMA predicts 382 million subscriptions to 5G in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, which is about 21% of total subscriptions. For new users, the first device online will be 4G.

What to Watch in 2027

The coming year will determine if lower-cost phones will make the difference. There are three signs to watch for:

• How many of the $40 4G phones will actually be available in stores through the pilot project.
• If the gap in usage starts to narrow according to the upcoming GSMA report.
• How application developers design applications for the lower-cost devices.

The towers are in place. The task now is to put a low-cost phone into the hands of those living beneath them.