As of February 2025, Morocco had an internet penetration of over 92 percent, making it the country with the highest internet penetration in Africa. Libya ranked second, with 88.5 percent, followed by Seychelles with over 87 percent. On the other hand, The Central African Republic, Chad, and Burundi had the lowest prevalence of internet among their population. Varying but growing levels of internet adoption Although internet usage varies significantly across African countries, the overall number of internet users on the continent jumped to around 646 million from close to 181 million in 2014. Of those, almost a third lived in Nigeria and Egypt only, two of the three most populous countries on the continent. Furthermore, internet users are expected to surge, reaching over 1.1 billion users by 2029. Mobile devices dominate web traffic Most internet adoptions on the continent occurred recently. This is among the reasons mobile phones increasingly play a significant role in connecting African populations. As of early January 2024, around 74 percent of the web traffic in Africa was via mobile phones, over 14 percentage points higher than the world average. Furthermore, almost all African countries have a higher web usage on mobile devices compared to other devices, with rates as high as 92 percent in Sudan. This is partly due to mobile connections being cheaper and not requiring the infrastructure needed for traditional desktop PCs with fixed-line internet connections.

The population share with mobile internet access in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 21.7 percentage points. After the eighteenth consecutive increasing year, the mobile internet penetration is estimated to reach 46.22 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the population share with mobile internet access in countries like Caribbean and Europe.

The percentage of households with internet access in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 14.5 percentage points. After the twenty-eighth consecutive increasing year, the internet penetration is estimated to reach 68.81 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the percentage of households with internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the share of housholds with internet access in the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the percentage of households with internet access in countries like Caribbean and Asia.

The number of internet users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 327.8 million users (+51.52 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 964.1 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of internet users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the estimated number of individuals in the country or region at hand, that use the internet. As the datasource clarifies, connection quality and usage frequency are distinct aspects, not taken into account here.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of internet users in countries like Europe and the Americas.

The number of smartphone users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 353.1 million users (+109.45 percent). After the eighteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 675.71 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Caribbean and Europe.

The average for 2023 based on 1 countries was 18 percent. The highest value was in Malawi: 18 percent and the lowest value was in Malawi: 18 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated number of mobile broadband connections per 100 inhabitants in 2020 in Africa, differentiated by country. Mobile broadband connections include cellular connections with a download speed of at least 256 kbit/s (without satellite or fixed-wireless connections). Cellular Internet-of-Things (IoT) or machine-to-machine (M2M) connections are excluded.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

Graph and download economic data for Internet users for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (ITNETUSERP2SSA) from 1990 to 2022 about Sub-Saharan Africa and internet.

The online banking penetration rate in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 5.2 percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the online banking penetration is estimated to reach 13.25 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the online banking penetration rate of was continuously increasing over the past years.Shown is the estimated percentage of the total population in a given region or country, which makes use of online banking.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the online banking penetration rate in countries like North America and Europe.

The number of Twitter users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 28.1 million users (+100.75 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the Twitter user base is estimated to reach 55.96 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of Twitter users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform twitter, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Twitter users in countries like Australia & Oceania and North America.

Graph and download economic data for Internet users for South Africa (ITNETUSERP2ZAF) from 1990 to 2023 about internet, South Africa, and persons.

The Central African Republic: Internet users, percent of population: The latest value from 2021 is 10.58 percent, an increase from 8.57 percent in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 68.26 percent, based on data from 184 countries. Historically, the average for the Central African Republic from 1990 to 2021 is 1.81 percent. The minimum value, 0 percent, was reached in 1990 while the maximum of 10.58 percent was recorded in 2021.

This dataset provides the number of internet users from 2000 to 2017.

Around four out of 10 people in Africa had internet access in December 2021. The online penetration rate on the continent was below the global average, measured at around 68 percent. According to Statista forecasts, the number of internet users in Africa increased to nearly 645 million in 2023, around 3.5 times more than in 2014. By 2029, over 1.1 billion individuals on the continent are expected to be connected to the internet. However, despite the rapid improvement in connectivity access, internet use in Africa remained the lowest worldwide.

The huge gap between African regions and countries

Inside Africa, internet access varies greatly. While nearly 70 percent of the population in the continent’s southern region was connected in 2023, the online penetration rate did not even reach 30 percent in both East and Central Africa. Likewise, connectivity differs drastically among countries. Morocco had an internet penetration of approximately 91 percent in 2024, the highest among African nations. On the other hand, only 11 percent of the population in The Central African Republic had access to an internet connection.

Mobile dominates web traffic in Africa

The predominant adoption of mobile devices has characterized internet use in Africa. In 2024, nearly 74 percent of the web traffic on the continent took place via mobile - more than in all other world regions. In Oceania, North America, and Europe, for instance, desktops still accounted for most of the online traffic. However, when it comes to mobile internet connectivity, Africa has been lagging behind. Below the Sahara, less than one-third of the population was connected to mobile internet services in 2021, against 55 percent worldwide.

The population share with internet access in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 18.8 percentage points. After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the internet penetration is estimated to reach 98 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the population share with internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via any means. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

Forecast: Total Internet Users in Southern Africa 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated number of mobile internet users in 2020 in Africa, differentiated by country.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

Internet Usage: Device Vendor Market Share: Mobile: Sharp data was reported at 0.000 % in 08 Dec 2024. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 07 Dec 2024. Internet Usage: Device Vendor Market Share: Mobile: Sharp data is updated daily, averaging 0.010 % from Nov 2024 (Median) to 08 Dec 2024, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.040 % in 10 Nov 2024 and a record low of 0.000 % in 08 Dec 2024. Internet Usage: Device Vendor Market Share: Mobile: Sharp data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statcounter Global Stats. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.SC.IU: Internet Usage: Device Vendor Market Share.

Central African Republic CF: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data was reported at 10.583 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.566 % for 2020. Central African Republic CF: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.290 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.583 % in 2021 and a record low of 0.000 % in 1995. Central African Republic CF: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Central African Republic – Table CF.World Bank.WDI: Telecommunication. Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.;International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database;Weighted average;Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data.

South Africa Internet Usage: Search Engine Market Share: Tablet: t-online data was reported at 0.000 % in 04 Jan 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 03 Jan 2025. South Africa Internet Usage: Search Engine Market Share: Tablet: t-online data is updated daily, averaging 0.000 % from Dec 2024 (Median) to 04 Jan 2025, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.060 % in 31 Dec 2024 and a record low of 0.000 % in 04 Jan 2025. South Africa Internet Usage: Search Engine Market Share: Tablet: t-online data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statcounter Global Stats. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.SC.IU: Internet Usage: Search Engine Market Share.