The mobile market in sub-Saharan Africa, which is and is set to continue to be the fastest-growing in the world, also contributes significantly to the region’s economy.
Last year alone, mobile technologies and services generated US$110 billion in economic value, equivalent to 7.7% of regional GDP, according to Mats Granryd, director general of the mobile operators trade body GSMA. He adds that the figure is projected to grow to US$142 billion (or 8.6% of GDP) by 2020.
In an online This is Africa report, Granryd goes on to state that one of the best examples of how mobile is transforming traditional industries across the continent is through mobile money. ‘There are now 140 live mobile money services in 39 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for nearly 280 million registered accounts,’ he says.
‘More than 40% of the adult population in seven countries – Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – use mobile money regularly.’
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