After ending 2016 with 420 million unique mobile subscribers, Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to add more than 100 million unique subscribers to surpass the half a billion mark by 2020, according to a Mobile Economy report by the GSM Association (GSMA).
Much of the growth is expected to be driven by increased uptake of mobile services by currently unconnected young adults who make up to 40% of the population in several countries. DR Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania are expected to account for almost half of the 115 million new subscribers to be added by 2020. At the moment, West Africa is home to the most unique mobile subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for more subscribers than Southern and Central Africa combined.
Projections show Sub-Saharan Africa will record a 6.2% compound annual growth rate for unique mobile subscribers between 2016 and 2020, compared to the global average of 4.2% in the same period.
