Only one in every 100 Africans was connected to 5G in 2024, despite $28 billion poured into next-generation mobile networks over the past five years. The figures, drawn from the latest data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), underscore the gap between huge capital investments and actual consumer adoption, with most users still relying on older technologies.
By the end of 2024, just over half of all mobile connections on the continent were still 3G, while 4G had grown to a third of all connections, according to the State of Broadband in Africa report released on September 11, 2025. 10% of users remained on 2G. Although 3G usage is expected to decline as 4G expands, 5G is projected to reach only 17% penetration by 2030—a fraction compared to advanced markets where adoption is accelerating rapidly.
This sluggish transition underscores a growing digital divide that could undermine Africa’s competitiveness in the global digital economy. Despite billions of dollars invested in next-generation networks, most Africans remain locked into older, slower technologies, limiting access to the high-speed internet needed to drive innovation in education, healthcare, e-commerce, and industry. Without affordable devices, broader coverage, and stronger policy interventions, 5G risks remaining a premium service for a small elite rather than a catalyst for inclusive digital transformation.
The challenge isn’t just about rolling out networks. In rural areas, where laying fibre is costly and often delayed, operators experiment with alternatives such as fixed wireless access and cellular backhaul to bridge coverage gaps, whether permanently in hard-to-reach areas or temporarily until fibre is deployed.
In Senegal, Ericsson, Yas, and the Ministry of Education have used fixed wireless access to connect previously unserved schools, pairing connectivity with digital tools and educational content. The model shows how innovative deployments can unlock social benefits, even when full-scale 5G remains out of reach.
“The future of connectivity in African countries will rely on using an effective mix and combining the strengths of different technologies to increase economies of scale, cost efficiency and coverage to deliver more advanced services to users,” the report noted.
Still, commercial 5G rollouts are happening. Vodacom Mozambique has launched the country’s first 5G services, while Benin has also seen initial deployments.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest telecom market, is gradually expanding its 5G footprint. As of September 2025, about 3.1% of Nigeria’s 171 million active mobile lines were on 5G, representing just over 5.2 million subscribers across MTN and Airtel. MTN alone accounts for the largest share, with over 10 million customers covered by 5G infrastructure and over 4.6 million active users. But for now, 4G still dominates nearly half of Nigeria’s connections, highlighting the slow uptake among mass-market consumers.
South Africa paints a different picture. By September 2025, 5G penetration had climbed to around 13% of the subscriber base, with over 10.8 million users and more than 50% of the population covered, with major operators like Vodacom and MTN driving this growth.
Operators remain bullish. Between 2023 and 2030, capital expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to reach $62 billion, part of a broader $1.5 trillion global investment in next-generation networks, the data by ITU and UNESCO showed. Much of this will go into 5G expansion. Partnerships between industry and government, such as Ericsson’s collaboration with Nigeria to build innovation hubs and incubators, aim to build the ecosystems that can make these investments pay off.
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