L'accès à Internet en Afrique The access to Internet in Africa is a strategic stake, at the crossroads of economic, social and technological dynamics. On a continent characterized by a rapid demographic growth and a rapidly expanding urbanization, the development of numerical infrastructure is a key lever to accelerate the economic transformation, favor innovation and improve the access to fundamental services like education, health or finance.
Despite the significant advances have been made over the past decade, notably thanks to the rapid penetration of mobile internet and growing investments in submarine cables and fiber optics. However, deep disparities remain between countries, regions, and populations. The challenges regarding the connectivity are numerous: insufficient infrastructure, high access costs, inequalities between urban and rural areas, network vulnerabilities, and cybersecurity issues.
At the same time, many opportunities are emerging, able to transform the digital landscape. The fintech dynamism, the rise of numerical innovation, the engagement of public and private actors, also the reinforcement of the internationale cooperation put Africa in a critical phase of its digital transition. The evolution of the african technological ecosystem opens the path to a wider and fair numerical inclusion, on the condition that the structural barriers that continue to impede universal Internet access are effectively overcome.
The challenges of access to Internet in Africa
A critical lack of infrastructures
The lack of infrastructures remains a major obstacle to the equal access to Internet on the continent. In 2023, only 34% of Africains were using Internet, against 66% of the global population, according to the Union internationale des télécommunications. This delay is particularly noticeable in rural areas, which are often deprived of mobile networks or fiber optic connections.
The World Bank estimates that 45% of the African population lives more than 10 kilometers away from a fiber network, making it difficult to extend quality connectivity to remote areas.
The high cost of access
The cost of mobile data in Sub-Saharan Africa remains among the highest in the world. In 2024, the median price of one gigabyte of mobile data amounted to 3.5% of the average monthly per capita income—well above the 2% affordability threshold recommended by the United Nations for considering Internet access affordable.
The disparities between countries are striking, although initiatives (local and international and solutions are being introduced to reduce them:
- Equatorial Guinea: users were paying 35.5 USD for 1 GB of data, one of the highest rates in the world.
- Malawi: subscribers benefited from more affordable rates, with a cost of around 0.38 USD for 1 GB, ranking among the countries with the lowest prices.
These price disparities and the uneven penetration of mobile Internet are due to several factors:
- Limited infrastructure: around 45% of the region's population lives more than 10 kilometers from a fiber-optic connection, hindering access to affordable data services.
- Lack of competition: countries with fewer than two mobile operators have a median price of 1 GB at 13.03 USD, while those with four or more operators offer average rates of 5.25 USD.
- Tax policies: high taxes on telecommunications services increase the final cost for consumers.
This information illustrates the persistent challenges related to the cost of Internet access in Africa and highlights the need for initiatives aimed at reducing these prices to promote broader digital inclusion. These figures are drawn from various sources such as theAgence Ecofin and Sputnik News.
Disparities between urban and rural areas
This imbalance fuels the digital divide, which hinders equitable access to information, education, and administrative services.
Connectivity is highly polarized between major cities and rural areas. While capitals such as Nairobi, Kigali, and Abidjan benefit from 4G and even 5G networks, millions of Africans living in rural areas still have no access to mobile networks or have only very weak signal coverage. According toAlliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) , more than 70% of rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly covered by mobile networks. This lack of coverage fuels the digital divide, hindering access to information, education, and administrative services for rural populations.
The lack of infrastructure, mainly due to the high installation costs in remote areas, explains this disparity. Telecommunications companies prioritize profitable urban areas, leaving rural zones behind. This inequality in Internet access prevents millions of people from harnessing the benefits of connectivity, especially in key sectors such as education and remote healthcare, thereby exacerbating social and economic inequalities.
Infrastructure vulnerability
The dependency of Africa to submarine cables makes it highly vunerable to service interruptions. As shown in the
Internet Society report, in march 2024, a landslide off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire simultaneously damaged four major submarine cables: ACE, SAT-3, WACS, and MainOne. This incident caused massive Internet outages in several West African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Namibia, Togo, and South Africa.
Countries with multiple connections or Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) were able to maintain some connectivity, highlighting the importance of infrastructure redundancy. This event underscored the urgent need to develop local and regional alternatives to strengthen the resilience of African networks against submarine cable failures.
o mitigate these risks, it is essential to invest in local and regional infrastructure, such as terrestrial cables, satellites, and content caching systems. As we can see in an article from Internet Society, the Djoliba project, launched in 2020, aims to connect nine West African countries through a fiber optic network, thereby improving the resilience and redundancy of the infrastructure.
Furthermore, increased investments in data centers and the development of local IXPs help reduce dependence on submarine cables and improve the overall resilience of the network.
In conclusion, to strengthen the resilience of Internet infrastructure in Africa, it is crucial to diversify connectivity routes, invest in local and regional infrastructure, and promote the development of IXPs
Problem of access to electricity
The access to electricty is a major challenge for the numercial development in Africa. More than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to reliable electricity according to theAgence internationale de l'énergie. This situation makes the use of Internet impossible or extremely limited, especially in rural zones where the energetical infrastructure is missing. Even in the electrified zones, the frequent power outages, which can last up to 20 hours per week in certain regions, disturb the essential numerical services.
In addition, the high cost of electricty, three times more expensive than elsewhere in developing countries, forms an extra barrier. This makes access to digital services difficult for many families and businesses. The situation is exacerbated by dependence on costly and non-renewable energy sources. For example, unreliable energy supply disrupts mobile coverage and Internet quality, a problem highlighted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2023.
To address this, initiatives such as solar mini-grids are emerging, but these solutions remain limited and costly. Improving access to electricity, particularly through local renewable energy sources, is therefore crucial for wider Internet adoption across the continent.
Development Oppotunities
Mobile Internet: an accelerator of inclusion
Mobile Internet has become a key driver of digital inclusion in Africa, notably thanks to the rise of smartphones and 3G/4G networks. In 2024, over 70% of Internet connections on the continent are made via mobile, enabling access to populations often excluded from fixed infrastructure.
With over 500 million subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa, digital mobility has a significant impact in countries like Kenya, where services such as M-Pesa have revolutionized access to financial services, or in West Africa with platforms such as Wave. These solutions address essential needs, whether in finance, health, or education.
Despite these advances, obstacles remain, particularly the cost of data. Although prices have decreased, Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the regions where mobile Internet access is still relatively expensive. This hampers large-scale adoption and limits the benefits of increased connectivity. Efforts must focus on reducing these costs and improving service quality to strengthen digital inclusion.
The fintech revolution : transform the access to the financial services
The fintech sector in Africa is experiencing exponential growth, notably driven by the rise of mobile payments. Services such as M-Pesa in Kenya, Wave in Sénégal, or Flutterwave in Nigeria enable millions of people, mainly unbanked, to access essential financial services while overcoming geographical barriers. According to the report from the GSMA (2023), Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than two-thirds of the global mobile money transaction volumes, reflecting the massive adoption of these services in the region.
This development helps reduce the financial isolation of rural and disadvantaged populations. By facilitating access to services such as money transfers, bill payments, and mobile loans, these innovations improve the lives of millions in areas where financial institutions are scarce. However, the rapid expansion of the fintech sector is not without challenges. Regulatory issues, transaction security, and data protection remain major concerns to ensure sustainable growth of the mobile payments market. A report by GSMA (2024) emphasizes that appropriate regulation and improved digital inclusion are key factors to enable fintech services to reach their full potential.
Infrastructure Modernization: Strengthening the Continent's Digital Architecture
Africa is increasingly investing in the modernization of its digital infrastructure to reduce inequalities in Internet access and support economic growth. Investments in submarine cables play a crucial role in lowering connectivity costs. For example, the Equiano cable, launched by Google in 2021, connects West Africa to Europe and is expected to significantly reduce connectivity costs in the countries involved. According to a Google report, this cable will increase West Africa's bandwidth capacity by 20 to 30%, which will promote access to digital services and stimulate local economies.
Projects like 2Africa, another submarine cable, supported by Meta, China Mobile, and other partners, aims to expand Internet coverage across the African continent. This cable, expected to be operational by the end of 2025, will connect several African countries, which should reduce Internet prices and improve connection speeds.
Meanwhile, regional data centers are rapidly expanding. Companies like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have begun establishing data centers in Africa, which will improve network resilience and offer new opportunities for local innovation. By 2025, the data center market in Africa is expected to grow by 12% annually.
These investments in infrastructure have enormous potential to drive digital growth in Africa. However, for these investments to benefit the entire population, it is essential that African governments and private stakeholders collaborate to improve regulation and ensure equitable access to technology.
Public politics and private initiatives
The african governments took initiatives to stimulate the numerical transformation, with
politics, also private intiatives and international investments, aimed to reduce the digital divide and to enhance the infrastructure. For example, Kenya has done a politic for the expansion of the fiber optic, especially in the rural zones, to expand the access to Internet.
Big companies like Google and Meta are actively supporting these initiatives. Google, with its submarine cable Equiano, has already enhanced the connectivity for several countries of West Africa and reduced the cost of bandwidth. Meta, is working on the expansion of the 5G networks and is supporting the local telecoms.
These collaborations between the public and private sectors are essential to developing a robust digital ecosystem, but the implementation of these projects requires coordinated long-term action.
Socio-economic impact of connectivity
Transformation of the education
Access to the Internet has a direct impact on improving education in Africa, especially in rural areas where access to educational resources is limited. Online resource platforms, such as DataCup, allow children to access offline educational content, which is essential in areas with limited connectivity.
Furthermore, the integration of digital technologies in African schools, such as in Rwanda, promotes greater inclusion. The Rwandan government, for example, has launched initiatives aimed at introducing digital tools into education, thereby giving students the opportunity to develop crucial digital skills for the future.
Global initiatives such as Khan Academy and Coursera offer free and accessible courses, enabling young Africans to improve their skills and access quality education, regardless of their geographical location.
The development of the numerical health
The rise of digital technology is gradually transforming the healthcare sector in Africa by facilitating access to care in remote areas. Telemedicine services, such as those offered by mPharm (Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya…), allow patients to consult doctors remotely, thereby reducing inequalities in access to primary healthcare.
Mobile apps like Ada Health or Vezeeta, offer diagnostic services, appointment scheduling, and medical follow-up, accessible via a simple smartphone. According to a GSMA report (2023), 50% of e-health services in Sub-Saharan Africa are now accessible via mobile devices, making it a key channel to reach remote populations.
Finally, digital tools facilitate health data collection, epidemic surveillance (as demonstrated by COVID-19), and the optimization of medical resources, strengthening the efficiency of healthcare systems.
Economic inclusion and employment
The expansion of Internet access is fostering the emergence of new forms of employment and economic activities in Africa. Online commerce, digital services, and freelancing platforms enable millions of young people to circumvent structural unemployment. According to the World Bank (2024), the digital sector could create up to 230 million jobs in Africa by 2030, provided that investments in skills and infrastructure keep pace.
Plateformes like Worknasi in Tanzania or Gebeya in Ethiopia connect African freelancers with international clients, while online training accessible via mobile strengthens the digital skills of young people, as ALX Africa does in several countries. According to a report by the Société Financière Internationale (IFC) and Google, The African digital economy could generate up to 180 billion dollars in economic value by the end of 2025, representing about 5.2% of the continent's GDP, provided that investments in infrastructure and digital skills continue.
Internet access thus contributes to economic empowerment, particularly among young people and women, by making entrepreneurship and training more accessible, even in previously marginalized areas.
Examples of projects and iniatives
Several innovating projects are contributing to enhance the access to Internet in Africa. Datacup.io/, for example, allows rural schools to access to pedagogical and professional ressources without Internet connexion, thanks to a local pre-charged server. This solution is already in backward regions in Kenya, Ghana or Togo, and is associated on partnerships with famous institutions like UNESCO, l’AFD, or the SOS Village d’Enfants foundation.
Other important initiative: the Konnect Africa project, leaded by Eutelsat, which deploys Internet services by satellites to serve isolated zones. This service aims to offer a broadband access to homes and SME in more than 20 african countries, especially in Cameroun, Burkina Faso or Benin, with adapted offers to local needs.
Finally, M-Pesa, launched in Kenya by Safaricom, it has transformed financial inclusion in Africa. The service allows millions of people to make payments or send money via their mobile phones without a bank account. In 2023, M-Pesa had over 50 million users across seven African countries.
Conclusion
Internet access in Africa represents both a major challenge and a tremendous opportunity. While the continent faces significant obstacles—particularly regarding infrastructure, costs, electricity access, and network resilience—the ongoing dynamics reveal considerable potential. The rise of mobile Internet, local innovations such as DataCup.io, and investments in digital infrastructure demonstrate that a connected future is within reach, provided there is strong commitment from governments, the private sector, and international partners. With an inclusive and sustainable strategy, Africa has the means to position itself as a key player in the global digital economy.