A GSMA report has revealed that mobile technologies and services contributed 240 billion dollars to Africa’s economy in 2025, representing 7.8 per cent of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This was made known in the latest GSMA Mobile Economy Africa 2026 report made available on its website on Wednesday.
The report said that the sector had also supported approximately 13 million jobs and generated 45 billion dollars in public revenues.
It projected that mobile technologies would contribute 290 billion dollars to Africa’s economy by 2030 as digital adoption deepened across the continent.
The report said: “Operators are increasingly deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve network performance and enhance customer experience.
“Telecom operators are evolving from connectivity providers to digital transformation partners for businesses and governments,”
The GSMA Intelligence research showed that 79 per cent of operators in Africa identify digital transformation as a primary enterprise objective.
The report said operators are also expanding digital services and opening network capabilities to developers through standardised APIs.
It noted that the capabilities are supporting fraud prevention, identity verification and digital trust across several sectors.
The report projected that 5G adoption would account for 21 per cent of total mobile connections across Africa by 2030.
It added that operators were expected to invest more than 76 billion dollars in network infrastructure between 2024 and 2030.
According to the report, Africa’s greatest digital challenge is no longer network coverage but mobile internet adoption.
“About 63 per cent of Africans live within mobile broadband coverage areas but do not use mobile internet services.
“Only nine per cent of the continent’s population remains outside mobile broadband network coverage,” the report stated.
It identified affordability as the biggest barrier to mobile internet adoption, alongside digital skills gaps and social constraints.
Commenting, GSMA Director-General, Vivek Badrinath, said Africa’s mobile industry was entering a new phase of development.
Badrinath said that the focus was shifting towards unlocking greater value through AI, digital services and innovation.
He said achieving the opportunity would require continued investment, supportive policies and a commitment to making connectivity affordable and accessible.
The report also noted that Africa hosted more than 30 per cent of the world’s languages, creating opportunities for locally developed AI models.
