Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Mobile Ecosystem to be Worth More Than $50 Billion to West Africa Economy by 2022, Finds New GSMA Study

11/04/2018

New Study Points to Strong Subscriber and Mobile Broadband Growth in West Africa

Abidjan, C te d'Ivoire: The mobile industry in West Africa is forecast to contribute more than $50 billion annually to the region's economy by 2022, according to a new GSMA study published today at the Mobile 360 - West Africa' event being held in Abidjan, C te d'Ivoire. The new report, The Mobile Economy: West Africa 2018, calculates that the region's mobile ecosystem contributed $37 billion in value last year, equivalent to 6.5 per cent of GDP1, and will grow to $51 billion (7.7 per cent of GDP) within five years. The economic contribution over this period will be spurred by strong subscriber growth and the move to mobile broadband networks and services.

Today's report demonstrates the vital role West Africa's mobile ecosystem is playing in driving economic growth and empowering citizens across the region, as well as in delivering against many of the targets of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, said John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer at the GSMA. However, further work is required as more than half of West Africa's citizens are not yet connected to a mobile service, excluding them from the socio-economic benefits that mobile delivers.

Large Youth Populations Driving Subscriber Growth

At the end of 2017, there were 176 million unique mobile subscribers2 across the West Africa sub-region, which comprises the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)3. This is equivalent to a penetration rate of 47 per cent of the region's population, up from just 28 per cent at the start of the decade. Strong subscriber growth is forecast to continue over the coming years; 72 million additional mobile subscribers are expected to be added in West Africa by 2025, lifting subscriber penetration to 54 per cent. Much of this growth is attributable to the demographic situation across the region, as large youth populations are expected to take out mobile subscriptions as they reach adulthood. According to the report, more than 40 per cent of the population in many countries across Sub-Saharan Africa are below the age of 16.

Meanwhile, the transition to mobile broadband in West Africa is being driven by the expansion of 3G and 4G networks, lower data tariffs and the increasing affordability of smartphones. 3G networks now cover two-thirds of the regional population and 4G adoption is also rising rapidly. As of March 2018, there were 29 live 4G (LTE) networks in nine countries across West Africa, six of which have launched in the last year. 3G and 4G together accounted for 36 per cent of West African mobile connections in 2017 and are forecast to rise to 94 per cent of the total by 2025. Local operators are expected to spend $8 billion (capex) over the next two years building out and upgrading their networks.

Mobile Powering Economic Growth and Jobs

The expected increase in the mobile ecosystem's contribution to the West Africa economy over the next five years will be due primarily to productivity gains. The greater availability of mobile broadband networks, for example, will enable improved access to information and services, which in turn drives efficiencies in business processes across many industries, including finance and health.

Alongside the economic contribution, the mobile ecosystem also supports jobs and contributes to public funding. Last year, the mobile industry in West Africa provided employment to more than 200,000 people, predominantly in the retailing and distribution of services and handsets, and made an annual tax contribution to the public finances of governments of $4 billion.

Connecting a new generation of mobile subscribers across West Africa requires a new era of collaboration between industry and governments in order to implement policies that encourage network expansion, innovation and affordability, added Giusti. In addition to the work of operators to expand and improve networks, significant effort from governments at all levels is needed to create the right conditions for continued investment.

The new report The Mobile Economy: West Africa 2018 is authored by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the GSMA, and is available in English and French language versions. To access the full report and related infographics, please visit: https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/west-africa/.

-ENDS-

Translation

French

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

Media Contacts:

For the GSMA

Beau Bass

+44 79 7662 4962

beau.bass@webershandwick.com

David Ntwampe Maila

+ 27 72 015 4702

dmaila@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com

1 The GDP contribution in 2017 comprised direct mobile ecosystem contribution (2.5% of GDP); indirect contribution (0.5%); and productivity improvements (3.5%).

2 A unique mobile subscriber represents an individual that can account for multiple SIM connections.

3 The 15 countries comprising the ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, C te d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
LINK: https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/mobile-ecosystem-to-be-wor...
See more stories from gsma

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

03/02/2026

Viper Shield Flight Tests Accelerates Delivery with New Digital Electronic Warfare Capability

Viper Shield's robust phase of flight-testing production representative hard...

03/02/2026

L3Harris: A Strategic Partner for National Vigilance and Regional Peace

Countries throughout the Indo-Pacific have made the ability to defend their people and sovereign borders a top priority, but no single nation can monitor every ...

03/02/2026

L3Harris Achieves Record-Breaking Fuzing Delivery Milestone

U.S. Marine loads a round in an 81 mm mortar system during an exercise. (Credit: U.S. Marines)...

03/02/2026

Cobalt Targets Need for Multiple Video Feeds with openGear 9905MPx Multi-Channel Processor

9905MPx Card features unprecedented level of density with four independent signa...

03/02/2026

Cobalt Wins Three 2021 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards

Champaign, IL - November 15, 2021 - Cobalt Digital, announced today that three of its products have received 2021 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. Cobalt, ...

03/02/2026

LOG4J Does Not Affect Cobalt Digital Products

Cobalt is pleased to confirm that Log4j vulnerability does NOT affect ANY Cobalt products including the HPF-9000 frame. Given the recent concerns regarding wi...

03/02/2026

Cobalt Digital's Launch of +UDX-Dante-1616 Introduces First License-based 12G-SDI Bridge to Dante Audio

Software-based embedding and de-embedding solution will be highlighted at NAB 20...

03/02/2026

Cobalt to Show New Line-up of EO/OE 12G Mini-Convertor BBG Boxes at NAB

Series developed to fill an industry need. Champaign, IL April 13, 2022 Cobalt Digital will introduce a new series of BlueBox Group (BBG) EO/OE 12G mini...

03/02/2026

Cobalt Takes Home Four Awards from NAB 2022

Company receives Best in Shows from Next TV and TVB Europe, and two Product of the Year awards from NAB Champaign, IL - May 6, 2022 - Cobalt Digital Inc. head...

03/02/2026

Cobalt to Participate in Several Events in and Around IBC 2022

IBC Stand 10.B44Journalists: Click to visit Cobalt Dr. Ciro Noronha, CTO, tapped as a panelist and speaker by many - and then there's the party! Amsterda...

03/02/2026

Company Announces Changes in Sales and Engineering Team Just in Time for IBC

IBC Stand 10.B44Journalists: Click to visit Cobalt Growth Drives Cobalt Digital to Promote Dr. Ciro Noronha to CTO, and Appoint Anthony Tan as Director of Sale...

03/02/2026

Cobalt Targets Top Trends at NAB NY with Solutions that Support IP, 4K ST 2110, HDR, RIST, Dante and Internet Security.

IBC Stand 10.B44Journalists: Click to visit Cobalt Dr. Ciro Noronha, CTO, tappe...

03/02/2026

Cobalt is Bringing an Award-Winning Portfolio of New Products to CABSAT 2023

Manufacturer plans also include solutions that provide a path to the cloud and redundancy updatesCABSAT Stand S1-I42Journalists: Click to visit Cobalt Dubai - ...

03/02/2026

Cobalt Announces Presence at ANGA COM 2023

Award-Winning Product Portfolio is Being Presented on Smart Video Group Stand, and Company's Berend Blokzijl is Scheduled to Share RIST Insight on Innovatio...

03/02/2026

COBALT Announces an IBC Line-up that Features IP Products and Extends 12-G Support Options

NEW Location IBC Stand 10.F42 Same Hall, NEW StandJournalists: Click to visi...

03/02/2026

TVBEurope: Understanding the RIST series of Specifications

TVBEurope spoke with our very own Dr. Ciro Noronha about RIST and more.Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) is growing in popularity for contribution and d...

03/02/2026

IBC 2023: COBALT has 12G Covered with Multiple openGEAR Cards and New Form Factor Solutions

NEW Location IBC Stand 10.F42 Same Hall, NEW StandJournalists: Click to visi...

03/02/2026

Catch the COBALT WAVE of New Routers and Control Panels at IBC

NEW Location IBC Stand 10.F42 Same Hall, NEW StandJournalists: Click to visit CobaltCatch Cobalt's Blue WAVE of Innovation in a New LocationHighlights t...

03/02/2026

COBALT Scores Best of Show Awards at IBC 2023

Cobalt Digital Scores Best of Show Awards at IBC 2023 from TVB Europe and TV Technology Amsterdam, 2 October 2023 - Cobalt Digital has announced that it has w...

03/02/2026

COBALT DIGITAL at NAB New York 2023 Booth 1126

NAB NY Booth: 1126Cobalt Digital to Present New PACIFIC Ultra-Low Latency 4K HEVC Encoder / Decoder Platform at NAB NY 2023Cobalt's NAB NY Plans Have Live P...

03/02/2026

COBALT Announces Inter BEE Product Line-Up

Cobalt's Inter BEE Line-up Targets 4K 2110 Processing with INDIGO Option and Offers High-Density Routing Solutions with New WAVE SeriesNew Mini Converters a...

03/02/2026

NAB 2024 Preview - Booth SU4027

Cobalt Digital's NAB 2024 Plans Include a Simplified Path to ATSC 3.0 Other Highlights include Enhanced IP Multiviewers, Expanded Router and Control Panel ...

03/02/2026

COBALT Shows New openGear Solutions at NAB

Featuring a Simplified Path to ATSC 3.0, Significant Support for ST 2110, and a New DANTE Embedder/De-Embedder with Frame SyncWAVE family of routers and expande...

03/02/2026

COBALT DIGITAL Receives Trifecta of Awards at NAB

Company adds two 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year awards and one Best of Show from TV Tech to long list of accolades Las Vegas, NV - April 24, 2024 - Cobalt ...

03/02/2026

Josh D'Amaro Named Next CEO of The Walt Disney Company

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/02/2026

BeckTV and Ross Video Expand Ravens LED Display System fo...

BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast media industry, and Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, have partnered once ...

03/02/2026

MeyerPro Helps Keep Microsoft Ignite Signals Live with AJ...

Audiovisual (AV) solutions provider MeyerPro has a long legacy of delivering exceptional live event productions. The Pacific Northwest-based outfit has served c...

03/02/2026

Riedel Connects Live Surgery and Medical Professionals at...

At the Vienna Interdisciplinary Symposium on Aortic Repair (VISAR), Riedel Communications' Managed Technology Division delivered a turnkey technical infrast...

03/02/2026

Limecraft Update 2026 Version 1 Adds Greater Control plus...

Limecraft today announced the release of Limecraft 2026.1, the first platform update of the year. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform that enables co...

03/02/2026

Nielsen To Launch Co-Viewing Pilot Program Beginning With Super Bowl

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/02/2026

PGA TOUR, DraftKings, ESPN Expand Betcast To 12 More Events

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/02/2026

IAB Launches Project Eidos To Modernize Ad, Marketing Measurement

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/02/2026

NBCUniversal and Roku Launch the NBC Winter Olympics Experience

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/02/2026

Berklee Alumni Recognized at the 2026 Grammy Awards

Berklee Alumni Recognized at the 2026 Grammy Awards Winners took home trophies in nine categories, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Songwriter o...

02/02/2026

SBS's High-Flying Drama The Airport Chaplain casts Hugo Weaving alongside The Pitt's breakout star Shabana Azeez

SBS's High-Flying Drama The Airport Chaplain casts Hugo Weaving alongside Th...

02/02/2026

CALL TO PARTICIPATE AT THE SERIES MANIA FORUM 2026

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), is calling for applications from experienced Sou...

02/02/2026

Inside the Avionics That Make Artemis II Possible: How L3Harris Units Drive the Space Launch System

Photo Credit: NASA. Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion Spacecraft rollou...

02/02/2026

ESPNs deal for NFL Network Gets Regulatory Approval

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/02/2026

Hewshott Entering New Era as Daniel Lee Transitions to G...

Hewshott, an industry leading global AV, IT, Theatre, and Acoustics consultancy firm has completed a global transition with current UK Managing Director, Daniel...

02/02/2026

Public Media Management Names LTN as Technology Partner f...

Public Media Management (PMM) today announced LTN as the technology partner for PMM Cloud, its new managed, cloud-based master control solution purpose-built fo...

02/02/2026

Big Academic Investments in Virtual Production Fuel Adoption

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/02/2026

Audiences Can Expect Seamless Viewing From Milan-Cortina

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/02/2026

NBC Olympics Will Take Audio to New Heights in Milan-Cortina

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/02/2026

XR Acquires Telly Traffic to Bolster UK Advertising Opera...

XR, the leading platform powering advertising operations, today announced the acquisition of Telly Traffic, a UK-based business affairs specialist with nearly t...

02/02/2026

Big Blue Marble Becomes Launch Partner for the AWS Europe...

Big Blue Marble, a provider of broadcast-grade, cloud-native video solutions for broadcasters, service providers, and content owners, has become a launch partne...