CAPE TOWN — THE number of mobile subscriptions in Africa will cross the 750 million mark during the fourth quarter of 2012 and reach one billion before the end of 2015, according to forecasts by Informa Telecoms & Media.
Report by AfricaCom
Africa has the highest rate of growth in mobile subscriptions among major world regions, with the number of mobile subscriptions in Africa forecast to grow by 17,5% over the year to end-2012, a higher rate than in any other major world regions and above the world average of 10,75% over the same period.
“Africa’s mobile market continues to grow robustly, driven by competition among mobile operators, , the availability of new data services and strong economic growth on the continent,” said Matthew Reed, principal analyst for Africa and the Middle East at Informa Telecoms & Media.
“And substantial opportunities for further growth remain, because the rate of mobile penetration in Africa is the lowest among major world regions and fixed networks are under-developed or absent across much of the continent.”
The number of mobile subscriptions in Africa will reach 761 million at end-2012 and will rise to 1,13 billion at end-2017, according to Informa forecasts. Nigeria, which crossed the 100 million mobile subscriptions threshold in the second quarter of 2012, will continue to be Africa’s biggest mobile market and is forecasted to have 168,99 million subscriptions at end-2017, followed by Egypt with 129,4 million subscriptions at end-2017.
The rate of mobile penetration in Africa at end-September was 67,55%, which was the lowest rate among major world regions and some way below the world average of 91%.
