MWC Kigali 2023: CEOs of Africa’s largest Mobile Network Operators meet to drive digital inclusion

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of six of Africa’s largest Mobile Network Operators convened at MWC Kigali to consider the opportunities and challenges for deeper partnerships with African governments to drive digital inclusion and mobile infrastructure development across the continent.

In consideration of these opportunities and challenges, the CEOs engaged with His Excellency President Paul Kagame, Head of State for the Republic of Rwanda, the MWC host and Chair of the Smart Africa board, who was supported by the Honourable Ms Paula Ingabire, the Rwanda Minister of Information and Communications and Innovation.

Present at the meeting were the CEO of Airtel Africa Group, Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Axian Group, Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of Ethio Telecommunications, and Frehiwot Tamru, President and Group CEO of MTN Group. Ralph Mupita, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, Jerome Henique and Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group.

The CEOs noted the achievements made to date by the mobile sector against the aspirations and objectives of key global and continental goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2063, and Smart Africa’s Vision of creating a Single Digital Market by 2030.

They believe that a truly connected, dynamic Africa, enabled by the power of inclusive mobile connectivity, is within our collective grasp – but to make it a reality, and close the connectivity and usage gaps for good, deep political support will be required, across both existing and new partnerships. A key dependency is the need to build the right conditions for digital infrastructure investment across Africa.

Mobile technologies and services are key enablers for that vision. And tangible progress has been made. In the first 10 years of Agenda 2063 (2013-2023), mobile operators in Africa invested more than US$70 bn in building mobile infrastructure, bringing close to 85% of the African population into mobile broadband connectivity (compared to 95% global average). However, more than 680 million people, equivalent to three in five people (60%), live in areas covered by a mobile broadband network in Africa but do not subscribe to mobile broadband service.

Mobile operators in Sub-Saharan Africa invest US$ 6-8bn per year in capital expenditure, nearly 20% of their revenues, but significant additional investments are needed to achieve the ambitious targets of connecting everyone to the internet and digitally transforming Africa.

The CEOs stated their commitment to collaborate with Africa’s nation-states’ transformational plans, placing added focus on four priority areas where governments, working in partnership with the mobile sector, have the opportunity to drive digital inclusion, economic growth and environmental transformation.