Uganda
has emerged as the country with the cheapest mobile data prices in Africa,
tying with Mauritius at just $0.02 per gigabyte for 30 days. Comoros ranks
third at $0.07, while Ghana takes the fourth position at $0.08, leading the
West African region in affordable internet access. South Africa follows at
$0.10, with Ethiopia in sixth place at $0.11 and Nigeria in seventh at $0.13.
Further
down the list, Kenya ranks twelfth at $0.18, Rwanda is seventeenth at $0.24,
and Togo takes the eighteenth spot at $0.27. At the higher end of the top 20,
Malawi charges $0.30 per gigabyte, while Madagascar ranks twentieth at $0.32,
the most expensive among the listed countries.
These
figures, compiled by Cable.co.uk and shared by Intelpoint, reveal the
significant variations in mobile data affordability across the continent.
Countries such as Uganda, Ghana, and South Africa are making notable progress
in expanding access to affordable internet, a critical enabler of
socio-economic growth in the digital age.
As
African nations pursue digital economy goals, the data suggests that
infrastructure investment and pro-competition policies exemplified by Uganda
and Ghana yield measurable benefits for consumers. With Nigeria recently
cutting data prices by 18%, West Africa’s digital rivalry promises to
intensify, potentially driving further improvements in affordability across the
region. The report highlights that while price breakthroughs are being
achieved, the next frontier for African digital development lies in bridging
the remaining gaps in device access, digital literacy, and rural connectivity
to transform affordable data into inclusive economic growth.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
