The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has revealed that despite the increasing demand for digital connectivity across Africa, the continent continues to lag globally in internet usage. In its latest State of Digital Development in Africa report, the ITU found that only 38 percent of Africa’s population had access to the internet in 2024, compared to the global average of 68 percent. The findings highlight a persistent and widening digital divide across the continent, despite notable improvements in mobile broadband coverage and growing enthusiasm for online services.
While Africa’s internet adoption is on an upward trajectory, fueled mainly by young, urban populations, millions remain offline. Older generations, rural communities, and marginalized groups continue to be left behind due to high service costs, limited digital literacy, and inadequate infrastructure, particularly outside major cities. Mobile networks have become the primary channel for internet access on the continent, with about 86 percent of the African population covered by mobile broadband.
However, the ITU highlighted that approximately 14 percent of Africans still lack mobile service, while about 25 percent lack mobile network coverage. Affordability remains a formidable barrier to wider internet adoption. In 2024, the median cost of a basic mobile broadband subscription (2GB per month) accounted for 4.2 percent of gross national income (GNI) per capita.
Although this figure marks a slight improvement from 4.6 percent in 2023, it remains more than double the affordability benchmark of 2 percent set by the UN Broadband Commission. It is the highest across all ITU-monitored regions. According to the ITU, the median cost for fixed broadband reached 15 percent of GNI per capita, rendering it inaccessible to most African households, particularly those in low-income brackets. These prohibitive costs continue entrenching digital inequality, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
Widening digital divide in Africa
While 70 percent of Africans now live within 4G coverage zones, the report observed that 16 percent of users still depend on outdated 3G networks, limiting their access to high-quality digital services. Meanwhile, the rollout of 5G technology remains nascent, with coverage reaching only 11 percent of the population, primarily concentrated in select urban hubs.
In 2024, internet usage in African cities stood at 57 percent, compared to just 23 percent in rural areas—the widest urban-rural gap recorded among all ITU regions globally. This disparity is further exacerbated by uneven infrastructure investments, with telecommunications operators prioritizing high-return urban centers over underserved rural communities. The ITU stressed the urgent need for more inclusive and strategic infrastructure development to bridge this gap.
It called on African governments and stakeholders to implement targeted policies prioritizing rural connectivity and ensuring equitable access to digital services for all citizens. On the regulatory front, the report acknowledges that several African countries have made progress in reforming their ICT governance frameworks, creating more competitive and investor-friendly environments. However, only 18 percent of African nations have achieved the highest standard of regulatory maturity—classified as G4 regulation—compared to a global average of 38 percent.
The ITU warned that this regulatory gap risks expanding the digital divide even further, as urban areas continue to attract disproportionate investments while rural regions are sidelined. The ITU stressed that robust digital governance must underpin Africa’s broader digital transformation efforts. Furthermore, the ITU called for improved cross-sector collaboration, particularly in digital identity systems, skills development, cybersecurity, and data protection.
It emphasized that Africa’s digital revolution risks leaving millions behind without cohesive digital strategies and stronger governance structures. “Digital transformation cannot succeed without robust digital governance,” the report added, urging African leaders to prioritize inclusive policies and sustained investment to unlock the continent’s full digital potential.
Image Credits: Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
