Article
It might come as a surprise that sub-Saharan Africa – with 34 of the 50 poorest countries on Earth, according to the United Nations – is now the world’s fastest-growing wireless market. But there’s no arguing with the statistics: the number of mobile subscribers in 30 sub-Saharan African countries, not including South Africa, rose from zero in 1994 to more than 82 million in late 2004, according to figures from the International Telecommunication Union. The rate of growth for the entire continent has been more than 58 percent per year, compared with the almost 22 percent annual growth rate in the Americas. This comprehensive article (with charts) looks at the history, implementation and impact of mobiles across the African continent.