21 July 2025
5G technology is gaining momentum across Africa, driven by increasing investments and expanding networks on the continent.
According to the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), by 2024, 79 telecom operators across 41 countries had committed to 5G investments, with 35 operators already operational in 21 nations. Since Vodacom Lesotho launched Africa’s first 5G network in 2018, the region has seen rapid progress. As of June 2021, seven active commercial 5G networks operated within five markets, and by 2024, over 26 million consumers had subscribed to 5G services, with approximately 600 million unique mobile subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) projects that by 2024, 25% of mobile coverage in urban areas will be 5G, a significant rise from the 73% coverage for 4G. Including North African nations such as Tunisia and Egypt, where commercial 5G has been available since February and June 2025 respectively, the total number of African countries with active 5G networks is expected to be higher. Data from the Ecofin Agency indicates that 46 operators are now active in 27 countries, exemplifying the continent’s growing commitment to 5G deployment.
Despite this positive outlook, numerous obstacles still hinder widespread adoption of 5G across Africa. The African Union Telecoms Agency (UAT) highlights five main barriers: high device costs, limited practical use cases, infrastructure challenges, spectrum availability, and regulatory issues. While 5G-enabled smartphones can be purchased for as little as USD 150, affordability remains a barrier for large segments of the population, necessitating interventions by governments, regulators, and operators to make devices more accessible and to foster continued 4G growth alongside 5G expansion.
Furthermore, the UAT notes that the lack of concrete applications for 5G — such as smart cities, autonomous production, healthcare monitoring, and IoT innovations — limits its adoption to primarily improving internet speeds. This has led to concerns that 5G remains a luxury product, mainly serving wealthy individuals and businesses, rather than being a transformative tool for broader economic development.
Additional challenges include the high costs of deploying 5G infrastructure, the limited availability of essential spectrum, inadequate optical fibre networks, and the absence of clear standards for cross-border data exchange. Addressing these issues is crucial for making 5G a catalyst for growth, with the ITU emphasising that tackling these obstacles will enable Africa to harness the full potential of 5G for economic development.
Looking ahead, the GSMA estimates that by 2030, 5G could contribute approximately USD 10 billion to Africa’s economy, accounting for about 6% of the total mobile sector’s economic impact, underscoring both the opportunities and the importance of resolving existing barriers to widespread 5G adoption.
