According to the Global System for Mobile Communication Association(GSMA), Sub-saharan Africa in 2023 had 1 billion mobile subscriptions but only more than 50% were linked to smartphones. Canalys, a market research firm based in Singapore reports that, smartphone importation in Africa reached over 18 million in Q3 2024, recording a modest 3% growth from the same period in 2023.This expansion was more sluggish compared to the over 20% and 5% growth rate experience in the Q1 and Q2 of 2024. The firm emphasizes that the future growth of Africa's smartphone market,will depend largely on the governments' and suppliers' capacity to tackle this structural issue and predicts a cautious 1% growth in smartphone shipments for 2025. The smartphone market downturn in Africa may hinder the uptake of broadband 

in the continent, where telecom operators are ramping up investment in 4G and 5G networks which require compatible handsets. Simultaneously, African governments are fast-tracking the digitization of public services to enhance citizen accessibility. Private enterprises and start-ups are launching ground breaking digital services.

Christelle koambi