Africa leading global internet growth

Africa experienced the highest rate of internet growth globally between 2018 and 2022, with bandwidth growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44%. When compared to Asia, which saw a 35% CAGR during the same time period, this growth rate is almost 10% greater. This is largely attributed to improved infrastructure and greater affordability, which highlights that Africa is steadily becoming more digitised.

According to the World Bank, the number of individuals gaining access to the internet in Africa is increasing at an exponential rate. More Africans than ever before now have access to high-speed connectivity due to the advent of fibre internet and mobile technologies.

While Africa has the fastest growth rate, it still lags behind the global average for internet penetration. Africa now has a 40% internet penetration rate, compared to a 62% for the rest of the world. Nevertheless, the continent is making significant connectivity inroads.

Morocco is the market leader in Africa, with a penetration rate of about 84%. Seychelles ranked second as of January 2022 with 79%, followed by Egypt with 72%. South Africa has the continent's fourth-highest internet penetration rate, at about 70%.

Rush to serve the last unconnected people

As the demand for DDoSseamless connectivity grows, massive investments have been made in ICT infrastructure throughout Africa. The growing middle class in Africa now has more disposable income and in recent years, demand for the internet for both personal and professional use has surged. This has accelerated global trade with Africa and stimulated investment in data centres, fibre optic infrastructure and related ICT services.

There is a significant effort underway to increase internet connectivity in Africa through private sector investment and non-profit organisations. This is underpinned by the premise that connectivity offers people better opportunities, especially when it is enabled in workplaces, educational institutions, libraries and training centres.

The World Economic Forum identified a number of key barriers to internet access in Africa back in 2016. Two of the biggest barriers were a lack of infrastructure and cost. A lot has been done in recent years to address this, including a fibre optic market that is expanding rapidly. Africa's east coast has benefited greatly from massive fibre optic investment in recent years. As a result, the cost of high-speed internet in the area has decreased.

Sustainable development linked to internet growth

One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations is inclusive and sustainable industrialisation. Innovation in business and manufacturing is linked to new technologies and investment in ICT. For the economy to thrive, telecommunications infrastructure is essential.

In order to accelerate the development of Africa's manufacturing and business sectors, the United Nations has identified investment in ICT as an essential component for sustainable development and innovation. ICT has taken on a prominent role in many projects related to sustainable industrialisation.

The demand for digital services in Africa has soared

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a major restructuring of African economies. More companies were pushed to establish online operations and provide their services in digital form. Schools and healthcare organisations were under similar pressure to cater for remote access.

Online shopping in Africa generated close to $30 billion in revenue in 2020, an almost 20% increase from the year before. According to estimates, African economies will continue to expand in the coming years. By 2025, it is expected that the online shopping industry will produce more than $46 billion in revenue.

Infrastructure underpinning internet growth in Africa

In East Africa, SEACOM has significantly contributed to the development of digital infrastructure. In July 2009, the SEACOM subsea cable went live, connecting the southern tip of Africa to Asia and Europe via the east coast of Africa. Additional investment in multiple landing stations and points of presence along the African coast has helped to improve internet speeds and affordability.

SEACOM Business offers world-class connectivity to businesses in Africa. We also offer a range of cloud computing services as well as industry-leading cyber protection. For more information or to get a quote for our connectivity, cyber security or cloud solutions, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

SEACOM owns Africa’s largest network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including fibre optic networks and subsea cables. We offer a wide range of industry-leading scalable ICT solutions for large companies that operate throughout the region.

SEACOM is privately owned - making it adaptable to the needs of the client. We are the preferred ICT and internet connectivity supplier for African enterprises. We can guarantee fast, reliable and secure internet and networking services at affordable prices.

For‌ ‌more‌ ‌information‌ ‌on‌ these solutions, ‌follow‌ ‌us‌ ‌on‌ ‌‌LinkedIn‌,‌ ‌‌Facebook‌ ‌or‌ ‌‌Twitter.‌ ‌Keep‌ ‌an‌ ‌eye‌ ‌on‌ ‌our‌ ‌‌news‌ ‌section‌‌ ‌for‌ ‌industry news and announcements on African ICT, internet connectivity, cloud services and security solutions.