A coalition of Africa’s leading mobile network operators is planning to introduce a N56,000 ($40) smartphone across six African markets, including Nigeria, as part of a major push to expand digital access and bring millions of people online.
The initiative, spearheaded by the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition, was unveiled during a press conference at the African Pavilion at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.
The coalition brings together some of Africa’s largest telecom companies, including Airtel Africa, Axian Telecom, Ethio Telecom, Orange, Vodacom Group and MTN Group.
Combined, the operators serve about 800 million mobile subscribers across the continent, giving the initiative the scale to significantly boost smartphone adoption.
What they are saying
According to industry stakeholders, device affordability remains one of the biggest obstacles preventing millions of Africans from accessing mobile internet services.
- “One of the biggest barriers and challenges for Africa is around the affordability of devices,” said Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at GSMA.
- “For us, the challenge is around closing the usage gap by bringing devices at affordable minimum specifications on 4G into the pilot phase,” Wamola added.
Other 5 countries selected for the rollout of the low-cost smartphone include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
According to Wamola, several other African countries have also expressed interest in joining the programme following the announcement at the global telecom event.
More insights
According to GSMA, smartphone affordability remains the single largest barrier to mobile internet adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Association’s State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025 Report revealed that more than 3 billion people globally live within mobile broadband coverage but do not use the internet, with affordability of handsets cited as the top challenge.
GSMA Intelligence estimates that a $40 smartphone could bring mobile internet within reach for an additional 20 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, while a $30 handset could enable up to 50 million to get connected.
- Africa’s smartphone market is largely dominated by Chinese manufacturers producing lower-cost devices for emerging markets.
- These devices are generally more affordable than premium models produced by companies such as Apple and Samsung.
- Despite this, smartphone ownership across Africa remains significantly below global levels.
- Studies by Google and the International Finance Corporation estimate that the continent’s digital economy could grow to about $180 billion by 2025 and reach roughly $712 billion by 2050 as internet adoption and digital services expand.
Part of the coalition’s strategy involves working with governments and regulators to reduce taxes that raise smartphone prices for consumers.
What you should know
This initiative is coming at a time of mounting concerns over the shortage of smartphone components globally.
- Nairametrics earlier reported that global memory chip shortages driven by artificial intelligence demand could push smartphone prices globally up by 15 to 20% in the coming months if supply constraints persist.
- According to market data and industry analysts, the pressure is coming primarily from surging prices of DRAM and NAND memory chips, core components used in smartphones, computers, and vehicles.
- Spot prices for DRAM have jumped by more than 600% in recent months, while NAND prices have also risen sharply as global demand for data storage expands alongside AI infrastructure.
Semiconductor manufacturers are redirecting production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a specialised chip used in AI accelerators, tightening supply for conventional memory used in consumer electronics.
