Telecommunication companies in Nigeria, wrote to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to demand an upward review of the prices of data, call and SMS; citing higher cost of doing business. The request did not go well with Nigerian consumers.
The recent telecos request made us research on the situation among other African countries. A look at statista report revealed the average cost of mobile internet data among selected African Countries.
Equatorial Guinea had the most expensive mobile internet in the world as of 2021. One gigabyte cost on average 50 U.S. dollars in the African country. Overall, cost of mobile data varied greatly across the continent. Malawi, Benin, Chad, and Namibia recorded elevated prices for mobile data as well, positioning among the 10 countries with the highest prices for data globally. By contrast, one gigabyte cost 0.27 U.S. dollars in Sudan, the cheapest average price registered in Africa.
Few factors influence the elevated prices of mobile data in Africa, such as the lack of infrastructure. In June 2020, around 56 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa lived within a range of 25 kilometers from fiber networks. Furthermore, the level of taxation in the mobile sector counted also as a major barrier to more affordable internet. Taxes and fees paid by mobile operators in Sub-Saharan Africa correspond to 26 percent of the sector’s market revenue. In Chad, where one gigabyte costs 23.33 U.S. dollars, the rate exceeds the regional average, reaching around 40 percent.
Over 480 million people are estimated to be connected to the mobile internet in Africa as of 2021. In fact, the coverage gap has been decreasing in the continent. However, the adoption of mobile internet is not equitable, as it is more accessible to men than women as well as more spread in urban than rural areas. Moreover, only four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa score above 50 in the Mobile Connectivity Index, which measures key enablers of mobile internet adoption. With a range from zero to 100, the index evaluates infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, and content and services.
Here is the list of top 20 countries with the most expensive internet mobile data prices in Africa.
Characteristic Price for one gigabyte in U.S. dollars
Equatorial Guinea 49.67
São Tomé and Príncipe 30.97
Malawi 25.46
Chad 23.33
Namibia 22.37
Central African Republic 9.03
Seychelles 8.64
Gambia 5.86
Mauritania 5.56
Madagascar 5.14
Gabon 4.82
Cape Verde 4.78
Togo 4.69
Burkina Faso 4.52
Guinea-Bissau 4.41
Botswana 3.92
Benin 3.61
Mali 3.28
Sierra Leone 3.26
Comoros 3.21
Out of all the African Countries rated, Nigeria is one of the last 5 with $0.88 data average mobile data price, while Tanzania has the lowest average mobile internet data price at $0.77.
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