Although the number of smartphones in Africa currently stands at 160 million and is expected to triple in the next four years, 60% of the continent’s population will still not be able to connect to the internet via mobile by 2020, according to the GSMA Mobile Economy Africa 2015 report released in Cape Town today.

Mobile is said to be the primary tool for African citizens to gain internet access, with 150 million Africans recorded to be connecting via mobile back in 2013, as fixed line infrastructure remains limited, making it unaffordable for most of the population.

By the end of last year, 20% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had access to mobile internet and 0.5% of the population had access to fixed broadband services. The mobile internet penetration rate grew to 23% by the second quarter of 2015.

The GSMA predicts 200 million more individuals will get mobile internet access by 2020, but only penetrating 37% of the total population.

“This highlights the existence of significant barriers to adoption,” the association said. “African women are particularly price sensitive and are currently 13% less likely than African men to own mobile phones. In some countries, such as Niger, this number rises to 45%. Similarly, women are using mobile internet less than men; for example, 43% of Kenyan women report trying the internet on a mobile device, compared to 61% of Kenyan men.”

To address the coverage gap, three broad strategies are needed: network sharing, government support and alternative technologies.

Underpinning that, are improving affordability in a shorter period of time and providing more locally relevant content.

“Taxes levied specifically on the mobile sector, such as airtime excise and SIM taxes run counter to the widely recognised principles of taxation outlined by the International Monetary Fund and other expert organisations,” the GSMA explained. “By pushing up prices, mobile-specific taxes artificially lower consumption of mobile services. In many countries, taxes account for an excessive proportion of the total cost of owning a mobile device and mobile services.”

Lastly, localising content is important as it’s a core part of the internet experience that consumers are seeking, whether for localised versions of global services, entertainment packages or hyper-local information such as bus timetables or commodity prices.

“As these barriers are overcome, and users become more familiar with internet access, the importance of locally relevant content will grow,” the GSMA suggested.

[Source – GSMA Mobile Economy Africa 2015, image – CC by 2.0/Johan Larsson]