As countries bring the pandemic under control, a priority for governments in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) is to drive economic recovery and promote sustainable development. Digital services and technologies will be crucial to realising this objective, by stimulating economic growth, mobilising the workforce and enabling industrial efficiencies.

This report shines a light on informal economic opportunities created directly in the mobile industry value chain. Between December 2020 and February 2021, GSMA Mobile for Development conducted interviews and surveys with young people in six Sub-Saharan African countries working directly and informally in the mobile industry.

The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to play a crucial role in the response to Covid-19. Mobile operators have implemented measures to support vulnerable communities including offering discounts on mobile tariffs and providing digital content and tools to help people and businesses get online. By the end of 2020, 495 million people subscribed to mobile services in Sub-Saharan Africa, representing 46% of the region's population – an increase of almost 20 million on 2019.

Mobile technology is a key driver of e-commerce services in Central Africa. As well as being the primary platform used to access the internet, mobile technology is facilitating online payments through mobile money, helping to address the challenge of low penetration of bank cards and the risks associated with cash-on-delivery. This report identifies key areas where action is required in Central Africa to increase access to digital services in general and e-commerce services in particular.

This edition of Region in Focus analyses key market trends and developments in Sub-Saharan Africa for the first quarter of 2021, including insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. The analysis also explores the increasing competition in Ethiopia, the growth of digital financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa and the recent wave of activity in the tower market in the region.

This edition of Region in Focus analyses key market trends and developments in MENA for the fourth quarter of 2020, including insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also take a look at how operators are increasingly exploring new uses cases for 5G, the growing importance of sustainability and the impact Covid-19 has had on customer engagement.

The GSMA and the World Bank have developed a study to analyse the welfare impact of mobile broadband based on data from Nigeria, the largest mobile market and economy in Africa. The analysis shows that the deployment of mobile broadband infrastructure has played a significant role in increasing household welfare and reducing poverty in Nigeria.

This edition of Region in Focus analyses key market trends and developments in Sub-Saharan Africa for Q3 2020, including insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also explore early insights from 5G in South Africa and examine the state of streaming video content and cloud services in Africa.

The mobile industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has largely risen to the challenge of sustaining social and economic activities in the region during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the unprecedented growth in data traffic. However, Covid-19 has also highlighted the impact of the digital divide for the large number of people in the region still unable to connect to mobile internet. With digital connectivity expected to play an even more central role in society post Covid-19, it is more important now than ever before to address the barriers to mobile internet adoption and usage in the region.

Spectrum licensing and pricing can play a crucial role in accelerating the adoption of mobile services and providing better networks and services for consumers. The amount of spectrum assigned by governments in Africa is approximately half the average amount assigned around the world. This gap in spectrum assignments has emerged and expanded over the last decade, making it difficult for operators to offer fast mobile broadband speeds.

In this edition of Region in Focus, we take a look at key market trends in MENA for the second quarter of 2020, including insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. In our topic deep dives, we also review the timeline for 2G and 3G shutdowns and examine the development of VoLTE deployment in the region.

Quality of service (QoS) regulation is at the heart of efforts to realise the goal of high service quality levels. In Sub-Saharan Africa, most countries follow a direct regulatory approach, but key findings from a GSMA survey of national regulatory authorities and service providers reveal the limitations of current QoS regulatory regimes in the region, which we highlight in this report. We also bring attention to important considerations for realising the goal of effective QoS regulation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The mobile industry in Sub-Saharan Africa has largely risen to the challenge of keeping individuals and businesses connected during the pandemic, despite changes in data consumption patterns. However, with nearly 800 million people in the region still not connected to the mobile internet, it has never been more urgent to close the digital divide.

This edition of Region in Focus analyses key market trends and developments in Sub-Saharan Africa for Q1 2020. We explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, outlining the implications of a renewed focus on connectivity, the renaissance of e-commerce and the outlook for tech startups.

In this edition of Region in Focus, we analyse key market trends in Middle East and North Africa for the first quarter of 2020, and provide insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also include analyses of five operators – Etisalat, Ooredoo, STC, Turkcell and Zain – based on FY 2019 results. Meanwhile, our topic deep dives highlight three key trends in the region: how open RAN is gaining traction; the opportunities from edge computing; and growing investments in data-centre infrastructure and cloud-based services

In this edition of Region in Focus, we analyse key market trends in Sub-Saharan Africa for the third quarter of 2019, and provide insights into recent technology, regulatory and competition developments. We also include analysis of five operators - Airtel, Maroc Telecom, MTN, Orange and Vodacom - based on recent results. Meanwhile, our topic deep dives highlight two key trends: data and fintech emerging as key growth drivers; and how OpenRAN is gaining traction, with potential implications for the network ecosystem in the region.

5G services have become a reality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As of October 2019, 10 operators had launched commercial 5G services in five GCC Arab States. Mobile operators in these countries are aiming to be global leaders in 5G deployments, while governments view the technology as a potential enabler for their digital transformation ambitions. The 2020s will see 5G activities become more widespread across the region, with trials and commercial launches expected in non-GCC countries.

This edition of Region in Focus explores how 2019 is year zero for 5G in MENA, with 12 operators in five GCC countries launching commercial 5G services during the year. The report examines the increases in capex intensity in the MENA region, exploring how 4G and 5G investment are driving growth.

At the recent GSMA Mobile 360 – Africa event, two initiatives aimed at bringing affordable smartphones to consumers were showcased: a $22 entry-level smart featurephone running on KaiOS; and a high-spec $150 Android smartphone offered on a pay-as-you-go finance basis by startup Maraphone. While both look to unlock smartphone affordability, payment plans that enable better specifications and experience may in the long term be the key for Africa’s youthful and aspirational population.

Building on insights from a survey of key local stakeholders, including policymakers, mobile operators and equipment vendors, this report establishes the outlook and expectations for the 5G era in Sub-Saharan Africa.