The 10 African countries with the slowest mobile internet speeds

While internet and mobile penetration is rising in Africa, the difficulties the continent faces in obtaining adequate internet access, especially in rural areas, cannot be ignored.

Slow mobile internet connections in Africa are a complex issue with wide-ranging impacts.

While the continent’s urban areas are synonymous with relatively fast internet speeds, rural communities don’t enjoy the same privilege. Additionally, the relationship between data costs and income levels creates significant barriers to internet access for many Africans.

While these issues are being addressed, they also constitute issues related to maximizing Africa’s digital economy.

Slow mobile internet hinders productivity and innovation, inhibiting the growth of businesses and startups that rely on digital platforms for market access and efficiency. Given the growth of digital solutions in the education and healthcare industries, it affects these industries as well.

It is important to note that not all African countries are severely affected by this challenge, but among those that do, some are particularly plagued by it.

Nonetheless, here are the 10 African countries with the slowest internet speeds for mobile devices at the beginning of 2024. The data in this list is provided by Speedtest Global Indexes.

These numbers go back to January 2024 and represent the median index value. The Speedtest Global Index ranks 144 countries around the world.