At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Kigali, African telecom executives and government officials renewed their call for the removal of taxes on budget smartphones, stressing that affordability remains one of the biggest barriers to digital inclusion on the continent.
Representatives from the GSMA—an association of major mobile network operators—urged African governments to scrap import duties and value-added taxes on smartphones priced below $100.
The group argues that reducing the cost of entry-level devices would dramatically expand internet access, particularly in underserved communities.
“A smartphone is not a luxury – it is a lifeline to services, jobs, and opportunities in the digital economy,” said Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, during the conference attended by over 4,000 delegates from across government, business, and technology sectors.
According to GSMA Intelligence, affordable devices could help millions more Africans get online. Phones priced around $40 could connect 20 million new users, while $30 devices could add up to 50 million people to the digital economy across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Read Also: Ezeibe Becomes NCRIB’s Third Female President
Currently, taxes and import levies add over 30% to smartphone prices in many African countries, according to Business Insider Africa.
Removing these costs, the GSMA says, would make a tangible difference in closing the continent’s digital divide.
Earlier this year, South Africa became the first African nation to abolish taxes on low-cost smartphones—a move telecom leaders hope others will emulate.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, shared how her country’s pro-digital reforms have accelerated internet access.
She revealed that the nation’s 4G user base has grown tenfold, from 500,000 subscribers in 2023 to five million by mid-2025, largely driven by public-private partnerships and the implementation of a new National Broadband Policy.
“Behind these numbers are real lives that have been transformed. With the 1 Million Coders programme, we are nurturing a generation ready to build Africa’s digital products of the future,” Ingabire said.
Over the same period, MTN Rwanda rolled out 5G services, while the government expanded broadband connectivity to 1,000 health centers and 4,000 schools, training more than four million citizens in digital literacy through its Digital Ambassadors Programme.
Ingabire emphasized that Rwanda’s progress demonstrates how digital connectivity can evolve “from an infrastructure challenge to a human capital opportunity.”
Axian Telecom Group CEO, Hassan Jaber, announced ambitious plans to extend 4G network coverage to 95% of Africa’s population by 2027, supported by international funding — including $100 million from the European Investment Bank and $160 million from the African Development Bank for projects in Madagascar and Tanzania.
Jaber described Africa’s youth as the continent’s “greatest advantage,” predicting that mobile subscriptions will reach 700 million by 2030, with women leading much of the growth.
Despite major progress in coverage and policy reforms, affordability remains the key obstacle. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025 Report highlights that more than three billion people globally live within mobile broadband range but remain offline due to the high cost of smartphones.
