Africa leading worldwide internet growth

Bandwidth in Africa grew at a 44% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2018 to 2022, making it the region with the highest level of internet growth worldwide. This growth rate is almost 10% higher than Asia, which experienced 35% CAGR over the same period. This is largely attributed to improved infrastructure and greater affordability, which highlights that Africa is steadily becoming more digitised.

According to the World Bank, Africa is experiencing exponential growth in terms of the number of individuals gaining online access. Throughout the continent, internet penetration has boomed in the last decade. With the advent of fibre internet and mobile technologies, more Africans than ever before have access to high speed connectivity.

However, despite being the fastest growing region in terms of internet penetration, Africa still lags behind the global average. Africa currently has around 40% internet penetration, whereas the rest of the world has a penetration rate of 62%. Nonetheless, the continent is making significant connectivity inroads.

Within Africa itself, Morocco leads the way with a penetration rate of around 84%. As of January 2022, Seychelles ranked second with 79%, followed by 72% in Egypt. At around 70%, South Africa has the fourth highest internet penetration rate on the continent.

Rush to serve the last unconnected people

Massive investment in ICT infrastructure in Africa has come in response to growing demand for seamless connectivity. Africa's rising middle class now has greater disposable income and the demand for internet for personal and business use has skyrocketed in the last few years. This has brought African commerce up to speed with the rest of the world and sparked investment in fibre optic infrastructure, data centres and related ICT services.

Studies have shown that communications and connectivity are essential for Africa's growth - not only from a business standpoint but also from a socio-economic perspective. The internet serves to empower women, rural communities, displaced persons and refugees.

Through private sector investment and non-profit organisations, there is a massive drive to improve internet access in Africa. This is underpinned by the premise that connectivity offers people better opportunities, particularly when connectivity is enabled in workplaces, schools, libraries and training centres.

Back in 2016, the World Economic Forum identified a number of key issues hindering internet access in Africa. A lack of infrastructure and affordability were two of the main reasons why people could not connect to the worldwide web. Much has been done in recent years to remedy this, including a rapidly growing fibre optic market. Countries along the east coast of Africa have enjoyed massive investment in fibre optics in recent years. This has served to drive down the cost of high speed internet in the region.

Sustainable development linked to internet growth

Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation are among The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). New technologies and an investment in ICT are linked to innovation in manufacturing and business. Telecommunications infrastructure is a prerequisite for economic growth.

In order to accelerate the development of Africa's manufacturing and business sectors, the United Nations has identified investment in ICT as an essential component for sustainable development and innovation. ICT has become central to many projects related to sustainable industrialisation.

Surge in demand for digital services in Africa

Much like the rest of the world, the Covid-19 pandemic led to massive restructuring of African economies. More businesses were pushed to go online, offering their services in a digital format. Schools and healthcare organisations were similarly pressed to cater for remote access.

During 2020, online shopping in Africa generated almost US$30 billion in revenue - an increase of almost 20% compared to the previous year. It is estimated that economies in Africa will continue to grow in the coming years. It is predicted that revenue generated from the online shopping industry will reach a value of over $46 billion by 2025.

Internet access in sub-Saharan Africa is growing at one of the fastest paces worldwide. Rapid urbanisation and attractive investment opportunities are driving the surge in demand for digitisation. It is expected that Africa's data centre market will grow by $3 billion by 2025. Organisation's have been digitising all streams of business. This means there is a greater reliance on connectivity as this is the backbone to all digital services. Whether it's for internal applications used to project manage staff or for client facing banking applications, connectivity is the lifeblood to these services.

Infrastructure underpinning internet growth in Africa

SEACOM has made significant contributions to the development of digital infrastructure in Southern and Eastern Africa. The SEACOM subsea cable went live in July 2009, connecting the southern tip of Africa to Asia and Europe via the African east coast. Further investment in multiple points of presence and landing stations along the African coast has served to improve internet speeds and affordability.

As African businesses start to make their way onto the global stage, robust and secure connectivity is needed. Modern business is characterised by seamless connectivity that supports cloud computing and advanced cyber security. Cloud computing supports innovative business models that are consumer centric and current trends suggest that the cloud is here to stay.

Cloud-based cyber security offers superior protection from global threats. As African businesses become more digitised, there is an increased risk of cyber attacks. The internet continues to grow in Africa, so adequate cyber protection is needed for this growth to be sustainable. Recent years have shown that Africa is a key target for cyber crime, with a massive spike in cyber attacks in the last couple of years.

SEACOM Business offers world-class connectivity to businesses in Africa. We also offer a range of cloud computing services as well as industry leading cyber protection. For more information or to get a quote for our connectivity, cyber security or cloud solutions, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

SEACOM owns Africa’s most extensive network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including subsea cables and secure internet connections. We offer a diverse range of flexible, scalable and high-quality solutions for businesses that meet world-class standards for connectivity.

SEACOM is privately owned and operated, making it agile and adaptable to the needs of the customer. This makes us the preferred ICT and internet connectivity partner for African businesses and peripheral service providers. We can guarantee high-speed, low-latency and secure internet connections to corporates and small enterprises.

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