COVID-19 implications for the digital divide in Africa

The document analyzes the digital divide in Africa, exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdowns, focusing on socio-economic barriers, weak infrastructure, information access, and government-mandated internet shutdowns. It argues that while global and continental frameworks like the AU's Digital Transformation Strategy exist, a multi-stakeholder approach is required to improve affordability, infrastructure, and digital literacy while ending political internet blackouts.

• Socio-economic barriers significantly hinder access to technology and connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa. While approximately 747 million people (three-quarters of the population) have a mobile connection, only 250 million use a smartphone. In 2019, only 10 of 45 African countries monitored by the Alliance for Affordable Internet met the affordability threshold, where 1GB of mobile prepaid data costs 2% or less of the average monthly income.
• Africa has the lowest internet penetration rate of all continents, recorded at 39.3% at the end of 2019, compared to 53.6% in Asia, 87.2% in Europe, and 94.6% in North America.
• Government-mandated internet shutdowns are used as political tools to suppress dissent, often during elections or protests. These shutdowns increased from 17 in 2018 to at least 25 in 2019, costing African economies over USD 2 billion that year. Analysis by CIPESA indicates that 77% of African countries that ordered shutdowns in the last five years are classified as 'authoritarian regimes' by the Democracy Index.
• Corporate interventions in South Africa have provided some relief during lockdowns, with Vodacom and MTN reducing mobile data prices by 20%-50% following a competition commission investigation. Both operators have zero-rated learning sites, and Vodacom specifically provides a zero-rated learning portal for all school grades.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). COVID-19 implications for the digital divide in Africa. https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19-implications-for-the-digital-divide-in-africa/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. COVID-19 implications for the digital divide in Africa. 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19-implications-for-the-digital-divide-in-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=COVID-19 implications for the digital divide in Africa |date=18 May 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19-implications-for-the-digital-divide-in-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020covid19, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{COVID-19 implications for the digital divide in Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19-implications-for-the-digital-divide-in-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }