…Continental Eye accelerates expansion into 14 more markets in 2026
5G deployment in Africa has reached a key milestone, with 53 operators in 29 countries offering commercial 5G services as of late 2025, according to the latest data from GSMA Intelligence.
With carriers in 14 more markets pledging to launch networks in the coming 2026 and beyond, the continent is poised to accelerate further.
This expansion reflects the growing momentum of fifth-generation wireless technologies in Africa, where adoption is still in its infancy but accelerating amid soaring data demands and evolving policy frameworks.
As of September 2025, 53 carriers have launched commercial 5G mobile services in 29 markets, with 25 carriers also deploying 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to bring high-speed broadband to underserved and rural areas.
According to forecasts, Africa will end 2025 with approximately 54 million 5G connections, representing just 3.8 percent of total mobile subscriptions. Although penetration rates are below the global average, officials see this as a solid foundation for the expected expansion of sub-$100 5G smartphones, especially in the second half of this year.
“5G momentum continues to build in Africa,” GSMA Intelligence noted in its Q2 2025 review, highlighting the rapid addition of markets and dual focus on mobile and FWA services.
North Africa continues to lead in dedicated frequency strategies that enable dense urban coverage.
Egypt remains a top contender, generating more than $700 million through its 2024 3.5 GHz auction, allowing operators such as Telekom Egypt, Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt and Etisalat Misr to drive commercial deployments.
Tunisia and Morocco followed suit in 2025, launching nationwide services to support high-density applications.
In sub-Saharan Africa, more tiered multi-carrier models are prevalent, often built on a “4G first” approach, with markets such as Kenya and Tanzania leveraging technology-neutral policies for spectrum reuse.
South Africa, Nigeria, and others are focused on high-value use cases such as FWA targeting the premium segment with monthly ARPUs of $24 to $32.
Related article: Festival demand, 5G and premium boom boost global smartphone shipments by 4% in Q3 2025
In Nigeria, a major sub-Saharan market, operators such as MTN and Airtel have prioritized 5G expansion despite affordability challenges.
Pioneer MTN Nigeria has deployed more than 2,100 5G sites and is making significant investments, including as part of the group’s $3.5 billion five-year country plan.
Recently, MTN Nigeria launched unlimited 5G broadband plans. Chief Broadband Officer Egerton Eidehen said the move was aimed at “providing the high-speed infrastructure needed to support modern Nigeria’s digital demands and enable customers to ‘stay unlimited’” and address complaints about data limits, cost and instability for remote working, streaming and gaming.
Highlighting the progress underway, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that in early 2026, “this expansion will be supported by stronger network infrastructure, with 4G population coverage anchored at approximately 85 percent and 5G expanding to approximately 13 percent of the population and continuing to grow.”
The regulator emphasized that these benefits set the stage for increased digital expectations and trust.
However, challenges remain. As of mid-2025, only 16 African countries have allocated 5G spectrum, less than 30% of the continent, compared to more than 90% in Europe.
Power instability affects 60% to 80% of towers, compounded by high diesel costs, but operators are countering with solar hybrids (improving uptime by 15% to 25%) and energy-as-a-service models (reducing costs by 20% to 40%). These efforts are laying the foundations for significant economic benefits.
GSMA predicts that 5G will contribute $10 billion to African economies by 2030, facilitating fintech with secure slicing, telemedicine in healthcare, precision agriculture with IoT/drones, and industrial efficiency in mining and ports.
With Africa’s young population driving increased data consumption, reaching 15.6 GB per month from 2024 onwards, and more markets poised, 5G is expected to close the gap, drive innovation and contribute $712 billion to GDP from a mature digital economy by mid-century. As adoption accelerates, this technology promises to transform connectivity and drive an inclusive digital future for Africa.
