GSMA shows that Sub-Saharan Africa will have 226 million 5G connections by the year 2030. Nigeria and South Africa together will make up nearly half of all these connections.
Nigeria is on track to become a major leader in Africa’s 5G market over the next ten years. According to a new report by the GSM Association (GSMA), this growth is driven by rising investments in mobile networks, more people buying smartphones, and a growing demand for high-speed internet.
While 4G will remain the most used mobile technology in Sub-Saharan Africa for now, 5G adoption is growing fast. Nigeria is expected to play a central role in this shift.
In its Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa report, the GSMA projects that the entire region will reach 226 million 5G connections by 2030. Remarkably, Nigeria and South Africa are expected to account for nearly half of that total number. By the end of the decade, 5G is forecast to make up about 17% of all mobile connections in the region.
The GSMA noted that advanced technologies like 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the top priorities for business investments up to 2030. Together with 4G, these technologies could contribute up to $270 billion to Africa’s economy by 2030.
Nigeria was one of the very first major markets in Sub-Saharan Africa to start commercial 5G services. This began after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) auctioned 5G spectrum in 2021.
Network operators MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications launched the country’s first commercial 5G networks in 2022, followed later by Airtel Nigeria. This early rollout gave Nigeria a strong foundation for large-scale 5G deployment.
Beyond faster mobile internet on phones, 5G is expected to expand into other areas. These include Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for home and office broadband, cloud computing, industrial automation, and AI-powered services. GSMA Intelligence highlights FWA as a highly promising early application because it helps operators bring internet to underserved areas.
Despite the bright outlook, the speed of 5G adoption will depend on solving a major challenge: the high cost of devices.
Africa still has the lowest smartphone ownership levels in the world, with only 24% penetration in 2024. Because 5G services require compatible and often expensive devices, affordability remains a barrier.
To help more people connect, the GSMA and major telecom operators like MTN, Airtel, Orange, and Vodacom have launched initiatives to bring cheaper 4G and 5G smartphones to African markets. The GSMA emphasizes that lowering the cost of these handsets is essential to speed up the transition to next-generation networks.
