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Insights Centre
Indicators · Digital and financial inclusion

Mobile subscriptions

Active mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people.

Why it matters

Mobile is the main channel for payments, banking and services across the region.

Read with care

Multiple SIMs per person push this above 100 without everyone being connected.

Source

World Bank

per 100 people. 54 African countries, 1990 to 2024.

Mobile subs: highest in South Africa, lowest in Mozambique

Mobile subscriptions, per 100 people. Latest year available, mostly 2024. 16 of 16 countries have data.

50
100
150
No data
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Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: mobile subsiWhy it mattersMobile is the main channel for payments, banking and services across the region.

Click a country to highlight it.

050100150South Africa179Mauritius173Botswana164Eswatini140Tanzania127Seychelles126Comoros110 (2023)Zambia109Zimbabwe94Namibia85Madagascar75 (2023)Lesotho70Angola70Malawi69DRC59Mozambique50median 101
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 101Lowest: Mozambique 50Highest: South Africa 179

Over time

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Mobile subscriptions against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

050100150$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Mobile subsDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarZambiaZimbabwe
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1South Africa1792024up 16.6 since 2019A
2Mauritius1732024up 27.6 since 2019A
3Botswana1642024up 3.3 since 2019A
4Eswatini1402024up 48.8 since 2019A
5Tanzania1272024up 46.0 since 2019A
6Seychelles1262024down 39.0 since 2019A
7Comoros1102023up 45.2 since 2018B
8Zambia1092024up 15.7 since 2019A
9Zimbabwe942024up 7.8 since 2019A
10Namibia852024down 21.4 since 2019A
11Madagascar752023up 36.7 since 2018B
12Lesotho702024down 5.8 since 2019A
13Angola702024up 23.9 since 2019A
14Malawi692024up 22.5 since 2019A
15DRC592024up 18.6 since 2019A
16Mozambique502024little changed since 2019A