The GSMA and the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa (PDAA) have launched a new roadmap to accelerate meaningful digital participation across Africa and support the ambition of connecting one billion people to the internet by 2030. The roadmap, titled "Advancing Digital Connectivity in Africa: Charting Africa's Path to 1 Billion Connected People by 2030," was launched during the United Nations General Assembly. It sets out priority actions for governments, industry, development partners, and investors to move beyond expanding network coverage and enable more people to use the internet regularly, safely, and productively.
The roadmap builds on the GSMA's State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2026, which found that 3.1 billion people globally live within mobile broadband coverage but do not use mobile internet. In Africa alone, the usage gap is around 906 million people, almost 60% of the continent's population. By comparison, 122 million people, or 8% of the population, still live beyond the reach of a mobile broadband network. This report highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to address the digital divide in Africa.
Developed by GSMA Intelligence for PDAA, the roadmap draws on analysis of 11 diverse African markets, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda. It identifies three priorities for accelerating meaningful digital participation: access to affordable, quality smartphones; practical digital skills; and safe and trusted services. These priorities are crucial for enabling more people to use the internet regularly and productively.
The roadmap finds that progress across these priorities must be reinforced by locally relevant content, digital public infrastructure, and policies that promote investment and inclusion. Halving the mobile internet usage gap across the 11 markets assessed could bring approximately 245 million additional people online. This would have a significant impact on the continent's economic and social development.
Hon. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Co-Chair of PDAA and former President of Liberia, emphasized that the goal is ambitious but achievable. John Giusti, GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer and President of GSMA Foundation, noted that Africa has already built much of the network foundation for its digital future. The urgent task now is to close the usage gap by making smartphones and services affordable, equipping people with practical skills, building trust, and ensuring connectivity delivers visible value in people's daily lives.
Ibrahima Guimba-Saïdou, CEO of PDAA, stressed that Africa cannot build its digital future on connectivity alone. The roadmap calls for stakeholders to replace standalone interventions with a coordinated delivery model that connects policy, infrastructure, energy, devices, skills, safety, and relevant digital services. PDAA will serve as a platform to bring together public- and private-sector stakeholders, align investment pipelines, reduce duplication, share risk, and help proven solutions scale across markets.
The GSMA and PDAA's roadmap provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the digital divide in Africa. By working together, stakeholders can accelerate meaningful digital participation and connect one billion people to the internet by 2030. This would have a significant impact on the continent's economic and social development, and help to unlock new opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Key points
- The GSMA and PDAA have launched a new roadmap to connect one billion Africans to the internet by 2030.
- The roadmap identifies three priorities for accelerating meaningful digital participation: access to affordable smartphones, practical digital skills, and safe and trusted services.
- Halving the mobile internet usage gap across 11 African markets could bring approximately 245 million additional people online.
