Living within mobile broadband coverage is not the same as using mobile internet. GSMA’s Accelerating Smartphone Adoption in Africa report, published in November 2025, makes that distinction central to its research.
The report says Africa’s coverage gap fell from 41% in 2015 to 9% in 2024, while the usage gap reached 64% in 2024. The usage gap describes people living in covered areas who are not using mobile internet.
Devices remain a barrier
GSMA identifies affordability as a leading constraint on smartphone adoption. It reports a median entry-level smartphone price of approximately US$39 in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, equivalent to 26% of monthly GDP per capita.
The regional figure is not a retail quote for every country or household. The burden can be substantially different for lower-income consumers and for those facing higher rural distribution costs.
Access requires more than a signal
The study draws on consumer research in eight countries, including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. It examines both ability and willingness to own and use a smartphone, recognising that adoption involves several barriers.
Analysis: Businesses building digital services should not assume that network availability means every potential customer has an affordable, capable device. Lightweight pages, understandable interfaces and accessible support can matter as much as advanced features.
Country-level differences remain important. These Africa-wide findings should not be used as South Africa’s adoption rate. Their practical lesson is to look beyond coverage maps when assessing who can actually participate in a digital market.
Source
GSMA: Accelerating Smartphone Adoption in Africa, November 2025.