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Mobile Industry Contributed $102B To Africa’s Economy In 2014 – GSMA

Mobile Industry Contributed $102B To Africa’s Economy In 2014 – GSMA

From Biz Community

The GSMA launched the Mobile Economy Report for sub-Saharan Africa 2015 at Mobile – 360 in Cape Town. The report found that the mobile industry in sub-Saharan Africa contributed more than US $100 billion to the region in 2014 – equivalent to 5.7% of the region’s GDP.

The report also found that mobile technology is playing a central role in sub-Saharan Africa by addressing a range of socio-economic challenges, particularly digital and financial inclusion, and enabling access to vital services such as education and healthcare.

Mobile operators directly contributed US $31bn, representing 1.7% of GDP. This economic contribution is set to increase over the coming years, as mobile operators continue to extend connectivity to unconnected populations across the region and roll out new mobile broadband networks and services. The industry is forecast to contribute US $166bn in value to the region by 2020, equivalent to 8% of expected GDP by this point.

“The mobile industry remains a key driver of economic growth and employment in sub-Saharan Africa, making a vital contribution given the population growth and high unemployment levels seen in many countries in the region,” said Alex Sinclair, Acting Director General and Chief Technology Officer at the GSMA.

“Despite revenue and margin pressures, local mobile operators continue to invest heavily to extend network coverage to serve unconnected communities and accelerate the migration to high-speed 3G/4G mobile broadband networks. Mobile technology is also playing a central role in sub-Saharan Africa by addressing a range of socio-economic challenges, particularly digital and financial inclusion, and enabling access to vital services such as education and healthcare.”

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