Frost & Sullivan: Mobile Connectivity and Growing Data Services Drive the Telecoms Market in Africa

"Mobile penetration, however, is almost saturated in some parts of Africa and mobile network operators are looking for new streams of revenue such as data services," said Frost & Sullivan Information & Communication Technologies Industry Analyst Naila Govan Vassen. "In particular, the North African region is on the verge of saturation, with an average mobile penetration rate of 93.4 percent. South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Mali and Gabon are also in a similar situation, with a 100 plus percent mobile penetration rate."

"Mobile penetration, however, is almost saturated in some parts of Africa and mobile network operators are looking for new streams of revenue such as data services," said Frost & Sullivan Information & Communication Technologies Industry Analyst Naila Govan Vassen. "In particular, the North African region is on the verge of saturation, with an average mobile penetration rate of 93.4 percent. South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Mali and Gabon are also in a similar situation, with a 100 plus percent mobile penetration rate."

In most cases, markets approaching mobile saturation point are in this position due to the widespread ownership of double subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. High numbers for business-related visitors and tourists has also led to the purchase of SIM cards for short-term use, contributing to mobile saturation in some markets. In fact, touristic appeal is the reason the destination of Seychelles registered a mobile penetration rate of 195.5 percent by the end of 2013.

While robust mobile penetration rates have fuelled the growth of the telecommunications market in Africa, other factors have served to hamper market development. Both fixed and mobile operators will have to invest huge amounts to develop telecommunication infrastructure across Africa due to scattered and low population densities. Social, economic and political instability as well as governments' prioritisation of issues such as poverty, low levels of education, and poor access to healthcare over telecommunications too slow down development. The market is also consolidating as operators struggle to overcome strict regulations and intense competition within the overall telecommunications market.

"Urban dwellers will now become a minority target for telecommunications providers as most have been exposed to technological and communication developments," noted Vassen. "To gain market share in the rural areas, participants will have to make communication a commodity."

With the growing popularity of mobile communications, opportunities to create eGovernment, eEducation and eHealth platforms have also emerged. Already, small and medium enterprises are taking advantage of the proliferation of communication technologies and integrating it in sectors that are crucial for the development of countries across Africa. Such initiatives have given rise to mobile agriculture and mobile banking.

Frost & Sullivan's Telecom Services (http://www.ipcommunications.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program offers the following new studies on the African mobile telecommunications market:
The Telecommunications Market in North Africa: Key Fixed and Mobile Market Indicators
The Telecommunications Market in West Africa: Key Fixed and Mobile Market Indicators
The Telecommunication Market in East Africa: Key Fixed and Mobile Market Indicators
The Telecommunication Market in Central Africa: Key Fixed and Mobile Market Indicators
The Telecommunications Market in Southern Africa: Key Fixed and Mobile Market Indicators.

For more information on telecommunications studies listed above, please email Samantha James, Corporate Communications, at [email protected].

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Samantha James
Corporate Communications – Africa
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