When people talk about the Internet in Africa, the discussion often swings between two extremes. On one side, there is the story of rapid digital growth, smartphones, mobile money, and a young connected population. On the other side, there is the reality that hundreds of millions of people are still offline or only have limited access. Both views are true. Africa is making real digital progress, but Internet access and usage are still far below the levels seen in many other parts of the world. According to the ITU, 38% of Africa’s population used the Internet in 2024, making Africa the least connected ITU region in terms of Internet usage.
That figure shows progress, but it also highlights the scale of the gap. More than half of the continent’s population remains offline. The divide is especially sharp between cities and rural areas. The ITU reports that in 2024, Internet usage in Africa reached 57% in urban areas, but only 23% in rural areas. This is the largest urban-rural Internet gap of any ITU region. The reasons are familiar but serious: weaker infrastructure, lower incomes, fewer devices, less reliable electricity, and lower levels of digital literacy in many rural communit…login to view the rest of this post