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 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.

Sub-Saharan Africa will remain the fastest growing region, with an additional 167 million subscribers over the period to 2025. This will take the total subscriber base to just over 600 million, representing around half the population. Nigeria and Ethiopia will record the fastest growth rates between now and 2025, at 19% and 11% respectively.

2019 will be a pivotal year for the region, with mobile broadband connections (3G and above) set to overtake 2G connections for the first time. The coming years will see continued growth in mobile broadband adoption as a result of 4G spectrum allocation, rising smartphone adoption, and the increasing availability of locally relevant and data-centric digital content (such as video streaming and online gaming).

For many consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa, the mobile phone is not just a communication device but also the primary channel to get online, as well as a vital tool to access various life-enhancing services.

The number of South African WCDMA and HSPA connections surpassed the 1 million mark for the first time last year, establishing South Africa as comfortably the most mature market in Africa in terms of high-speed mobile network

The security threat landscape across telecoms and the broader technology industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace. This report series aims to evaluate the threat landscape for telecoms operators; track where and why things have changed in the threat landscape for better or worse; discuss innovation and best practice in solutions to mitigate or repel threats; and examine potential future scenarios and how to get ahead of the curve.

The security threat landscape across telecoms and the broader technology industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace. This is the second in a five-part series on security innovations in the telecoms industry. This edition focuses on Northern Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa is seeing growing momentum behind 5G, with 27 operators in 16 markets offering commercial 5G services in the region as of September 2023. FWA is also emerging as an important use case. This spotlight examines the implications ahead for the ecosystem as 5G expands its reach and role in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The positive contribution of the mobile sector to the economy is well recognised. However, the tax treatment of the sector is not always aligned with best-practice principles of taxation; this may have a distortive impact on the industry’s development.

Zain’s announcement that it is reviewing a sale of its African mobile networks marks a major shift in strategy for a group that had previously seen the region as a major driver of growth. The Kuwaiti-based group had earlier set itself an ambitious target of becoming one of the top ten telcos in the world by 2011, targeting a total customer base of over 150 million. However, a sale of its African networks, which account for 16 of its 23 global markets and some 62 percent of its customers, would dramatically reduce Zain’s customer base and global footprint.

The Region in Focus series provides an essential quarterly briefing on industry developments, market insights and country KPIs for mobile markets around the world. This edition outlines the key market trends and developments in the Middle East and North Africa for Q4 2024.

The Region in Focus series provides an essential quarterly briefing on industry developments, market insights and country KPIs for mobile markets around the world. This edition outlines the key market trends and developments in the Middle East and North Africa for Q3 2024.

The mobile industry continues to underpin the rapid digital transformation in in the Middle East and North Africa, with advanced mobile networks enabling innovative use case cases for consumers and enterprises. The role of mobile infrastructure and services will become even more vital to the way society functions as governments increasingly use digital technologies to tackle some of the most pressing social and economic challenges.

The economics of rolling out telecoms networks in rural areas have long proved challenging. The difficulties centre on running a high fixed cost business against a lower revenue base. To examine the state and outlook for energy use among African telecoms operators, GSMA Intelligence ran a data gathering exercise involving most of the largest telecoms operators in the region.

The Region in Focus series provides an essential quarterly briefing on industry developments, market insights and country KPIs for mobile markets around the world. This edition outlines the key market trends and developments in the Middle East and North Africa for Q2 2024.