Seven Surprising Statistics about the State of Africa's Connectivity

Africa Tech Festival's latest report, 'The State of Connectivity in Africa in 2022', unpacks the latest internet connectivity trends, challenges and disruptions to connectivity, notable projects, and opportunities for growth across the continent.

Here are seven surprising statistics about the state of connectivity in Africa, taken from the report.

1. In 2021, 89% of web traffic was generated through smartphones in Africa.

This can be attributed to the fact that mobile connections are far cheaper and don’t require the infrastructure that traditional desktop PCs do.

2. Currently, only 39.9 percent of the continent has access to the internet.

This is considerably lower than the global average of 62.5 percent (as of January 2022.

3. Northern Africa is home to many countries/regions with the highest internet penetration rates on the continent.

Four out of the top ten in Africa are in the region, with Morocco (1st), Egypt, (3rd) Tunisia (5th), and Western Sahara (9th).

4. Southern Africa is currently the region with the highest internet penetration rate in Africa, at 66 percent.

This is even higher than the world average of 62.5 percent.

5. Literacy and digital skills remain key barriers to mobile internet adoption and use.

In Kenya, Mozambique, and Nigeria, more than half of those who are not using mobile internet, despite being aware of it, report barriers related to literacy and digital skills.

6. The prices of mobile data in Western Africa, adjusted for cost of living, are among the highest worldwide.

?Niger and Guinea-Bissau rank among the top 10 most expensive in the world in terms of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) data-only mobile broadband price basket.

7. The mostly costly internet blackout in 2021 occurred in Nigeria.

A downtime of 222 days resulted in a cost of $367 million.

To learn more about the challenges, opportunities, and latest connectivity trends across Africa, tap the banner below to download your copy of the interactive report for free.