A new analysis by Opensignal, evaluating mobile network experiences across 27 African markets, reveals significant disparities driven by varied economic conditions, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, and levels of investment across the continent. By assessing Download Speed Experience and Consistent Quality (CQ), Opensignal provides insight into the mobile experience disparities faced by African smartphone users.
According to Opensignal’s findings, South Africa leads the continent in download speed with an average of 34.5Mbps, a 50% increase over Zimbabwe, the next fastest market at 22.9Mbps. South Africa’s average is over four times that of Angola, which ranks last in the analysis. Meanwhile, South Africa and Tunisia also lead in Consistent Quality, with South Africa scoring 58.6% – nearly twice as high as the majority of analyzed markets, where scores often fall below 30%. This indicates that connectivity in many countries may struggle to support stable, high-quality digital experiences necessary for video calls, social media uploads, and smart applications.
A key factor behind the variance in mobile experiences is the reliance on older network technologies. In 11 of the 27 markets analyzed, users spend over 20% of their time connected to 3G, a legacy technology unable to support modern, data-heavy applications. In countries like Mali and Zimbabwe, users spend even more time on 2G networks, further limiting their access to advanced digital services.
Opensignal’s report also highlights infrastructure challenges affecting the mobile network experience. Users in Tunisia experience no connectivity over 5% of the time, with similar issues reported in Mali, Morocco, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In contrast, South Africa and Rwanda report minimal no-signal time, reflecting significant investments in network coverage and reliability.
South Africa’s regulatory landscape has facilitated its progress. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) supports technology-neutral licensing, allowing operators to allocate spectrum for newer 4G and 5G services, bolstered by the 2022 mid-band spectrum auction. These factors enable South Africa to lead in network performance across the region, placing it sixth in the EMEA region for 5G download speeds.
However, Opensignal’s analysis underscores that significant challenges remain. High infrastructure costs, device affordability issues, and limited digital literacy restrict the growth of mobile connectivity in many African markets. Initiatives are underway to phase out 2G and 3G networks in some countries, as seen in Airtel Nigeria’s reallocation to 4G and South Africa’s plans to sunset legacy networks by 2027.
Improving network experience across Africa is essential to foster economic participation and digital inclusion. Key areas for development include infrastructure investment, regulatory support, spectrum efficiency, and affordability of 4G and 5G-enabled devices. Opensignal’s ongoing analysis will continue to track the impact of these efforts on mobile connectivity across Africa, supporting the continent’s journey toward digital transformation and socio-economic progress.
Staff writer
