Cell web customers in sub-Saharan Africa have risen by 71 % to 290 million individuals in 2022 from 170 million in 2017, in accordance with BusinessDay’s evaluation of the newest report by the GSM Affiliation.
In response to the report, the inhabitants utilizing cellular web has elevated by about 30 million.
“1 / 4 of the inhabitants now makes use of cellular web in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a rise of just about 30 million new cellular web customers in 2022. On account of persevering with cellular broadband investments within the area, the variety of individuals not coated by cellular broadband has continued to cut back,” it mentioned.
Consultants say cellular web utilization will increase because of the widespread adoption of smartphones, improved community infrastructure (similar to 4G and 5G), reasonably priced information plans, the supply of mobile-friendly content material, the recognition of social media and apps, and total financial improvement in varied areas. These components collectively contribute to the rising pattern of individuals accessing the web on their cellular units.
Nonetheless, the report additional famous a gradual enhance within the inhabitants of cellular web customers over six years.
“The inhabitants of cellular web customers elevated by 17 % in 2017 to 170 million, it additionally elevated in 2018 by 19 % to 190 million. In 2019, it elevated by 20% to 210 million, and by 22% to 230 million in 2020. In 2021, it elevated by 23 % to 260 million and 25 % to 290 million in 2022,” it confirmed.
It’s pertinent to notice that regardless of these numbers, the area nonetheless has the most important gaps in cellular web protection and utilization. With 490 million customers coated however not related as at 2017, the quantity has moved to 680 million as of 2022. This additionally reveals an 11% enhance over 6 years.
On smartphone utilization, the report averred that the tip of 2022 noticed 17 % of the inhabitants in Sub-Saharan Africa utilizing cellular web on a smartphone.
It is a transfer from the 9 % utilization in 2018. Nonetheless, the proportion of customers related with smartphones remained common with a 1 % drop for the primary time in 2022.
Statista, a market information and analysis portal, reveals that solely about 10 to twenty % of the Nigerian inhabitants personal a smartphone.
BusinessDay reported that the worldwide premium smartphone (wholesale value ≥$600) market’s gross sales are prone to develop by six % year-on-year in 2023 to hit a brand new file.
Nonetheless, Nigeria ranks eleventh when it comes to web penetration and seventh when it comes to cell phone utilization globally with 82 % of Africa’s telecom subscribers and 29 % web consumption.
In response to the Nigerian Communication Fee (NCC), energetic cellular subscribers as of August 2023 fell to 220.7 million to 220.8 million July 2022.
The telecommunication information revealed that 2G continues to be the dominant expertise in Nigeria’s cellular market with 60.32 % of the nation’s 220.7 million cellular subscriptions on the 2G community as of August 2023 in comparison with 58.36 % in Might 2023.
This enhance comes because of the financial downturn, which has left many people and households struggling to afford high-speed web plans and fashionable smartphones.
“Throughout instances of financial uncertainty, we usually see a shift in client behaviour as individuals search for methods to tighten their budgets,” mentioned Sarah Johnson, a telecommunications trade analyst.
“The shift in the direction of 2G companies and units is a transparent instance of this pattern. Customers are prioritising fundamental communication wants over data-hungry functions,” she added.
