How Connectivity Catalyzes Sustainable Development in Rural Africa

Published in Telecom Review on September 8th, 2025

By Ismail Tber, Managing Director of PMP Strategy’s Casablanca office and Benoît Gelot, Partner based in Paris

In today’s world, digital connectivity is no longer a luxury but a fundamental driver of prosperity and opportunity creation. Connectivity serves as a gateway—a passport—to education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, jobs, and access to information. A survey by the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) across nine low- and middle-income countries found that 30-33% of mobile internet users leverage connectivity for essential services such as healthcare, education, job seeking, and participation in the digital economy.

Yet, a persistent digital divide remains, especially impacting rural and remote populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, rural residents—constituting 85% of Africa rural population—face significant connectivity limitations compared to urban inhabitants.

Closing this gap is crucial to achieving global inclusion and sustainable development.

Sustainable Development: Challenges in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Rural Sub-Saharan Africa confronts complex, interrelated challenges that impede development and quality of life:

Poverty: Around 45.5% of the population—approximately 559 million people—live in extreme poverty, predominantly in rural areas.
Education and Literacy: Rural communities lack access to quality education, hindered by inadequate infrastructure and teacher shortages.
Gender Inequality: Rural women face disproportionate barriers in education, employment, and digital access; in many countries, less than 1% of young rural women from poor households complete secondary school.
Healthcare Access: Severely limited, with only 1.3 health workers per 1,000 people—far below the WHO’s (Word Health Organization) recommended minimum of 4.5. The region bears 24% of the global disease burden but employs only 3% of health staff.
Environmental Vulnerability: Over 60% depend on agriculture, which contributes 23% of GDP, yet, unpredictable weather, such as droughts, threatens livelihoods.
Water Security: About 418 million Africans lack access to safe drinking water, although, targeted projects in Kenya and Nigeria have improved conditions.

Addressing these entrenched challenges demands empowering rural communities, boosting their resilience, and fostering inclusive economic growth.

Rural Connectivity as a Driver of Economic and Social Empowerment

Digital connectivity acts as a lifeline for rural Africa, unlocking new economic and social opportunities.

Economic Growth and Market Access: Rural regions with broadband penetration above 80% see 213% higher business growth and a 10% increase in self-employment. Connectivity enables entrepreneurs and farmers to reach broader markets and add value locally.
Financial Inclusion: Mobile connectivity, combined with fintech services, empowers millions to access microloans, insurance, and secure payments—critical for entrepreneurship and economic stability.
Healthcare and Telemedicine: Connectivity facilitates remote consultations and access to health information, addressing shortages in healthcare personnel. A rural clinic using telehealth can serve 50% more patients, improving community health and workforce productivity. For example, South Africa’s MomConnect sends maternal health advice via mobile phones, reducing maternal mortality.
Education and E-Learning: Digital access bridges educational gaps where schools lack resources. A 2024 study from the Government of British Columbia estimates that broadband access boosts rural graduation rates by 10%, creating a pipeline of skilled workers that industries crave. Initiatives like the ‘African Girls Can Code Initiative’ train young women in digital skills that enhance employability and leadership.
Agritech and Sustainable Agriculture: Digital tools and AI opportunities revolutionize farming, improving farmers productivity, profitability, and predictability:
- Kenya’s CropMon uses satellite-guided GPS farming advice to boost yields.
- SAFE4ALL (in Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe) employs AI chatbots for weather forecasts and climate-smart tips, benefiting over 200,000 farmers, 51% of whom are women.
- IoT smart water management in Nairobi reduces water waste by up to 30% for over 50,000 users.
Women’s Empowerment: Gender-focused digital programs, such as South Africa’s Mamaila Cooperative, provide affordable internet and leadership opportunities to women, improving digital literacy, financial autonomy, and reducing the time spent on tasks like water collection, a burden for over 90% of rural women.

Despite this potential, internet use remains limited, with only 38% of Africans online—well below the global average of 68%—with rural areas lagging further. In 2024, internet usage in the urban population reached 57%, compared to just 23% in rural areas, by far the largest gap found in any ITU region. 4G and 5G networks primarily serve urban populations, leaving rural communities with slower and less reliable connections.

Initiatives and Actions by Private and Public Players to Enhance Rural Connectivity

In response, diverse targeted initiatives and partnerships by governments, international organizations, and the private sector have emerged to expand access, improve affordability, and build digital skills, especially among vulnerable groups like youth and women:

Governments, aided by alliances like A4AI, are crafting rural broadband policy frameworks to guide inclusive expansion.
The African Union, backed by the World Bank Group, has set a goal to achieve universal, affordable connectivity by 2030 to help lift rural populations out of poverty.
The World Bank’s Digital Transformation Centres (DTCs), launched with Cisco in 2019, have established 14 centers, empowering nearly 400,000 people with digital literacy and skills.
More than 40% of Sub-Saharan African countries have reduced the cost of 1 GB of mobile data by over 10%, enhancing affordability.
In 2024, ITU-led programs advanced digital inclusion:
- International Girls in ICT Day trained 40,000 girls from 84 countries.
- Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme, co-led with Huawei, supported 30 young changemakers from 28 countries with mentorship.
- Over 1,400 young women participated in Her Digital Skills and the AI Skills Accelerator for Girls.

Despite these efforts, progress remains too slow to fully close the rural digital divide.

Barriers to Universal Rural Connectivity

Achieving reliable and affordable rural connectivity remains complex, hindered by multiple intertwined obstacles:

Affordability: Device costs remain prohibitively high relative to rural incomes (an entry-level device costs 99% of average monthly income for the poorest 20%).
High Infrastructure and Operational Costs: Network deployment and maintenance in sparsely populated areas are costly. Fiber-optic installation may cost up to USD 30,000 per mile; rural mobile coverage is 20-40% more expensive than in urban settings.
Regulatory and Policy Fragmentation: Inconsistent and fragmented policies deter investment and slow innovation.
Digital Literacy and Social Barriers: Low digital skills, especially among women and youth, limit meaningful use despite access.
Gender Gaps: Rural women are less likely than men to own mobile phones or use mobile internet.
Energy Access: Lack of reliable, affordable renewable energy restricts network sustainability in off-grid communities.

Overcoming these significant and interconnected barriers is essential to bridge the rural digital divide.

Accelerating Progress: Recommendations

Bridging the rural digital divide necessitates bold, coordinated, and innovative strategies. The following recommendations outline strategic pathways to accelerate progress and unlock the full potential of connectivity for rural communities across Africa:

Foster Strong Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Align investments, share risks, and harness the strengths of governments, the private sector, and communities. Transparent regulatory frameworks and clear incentives are critical.
Set Ambitious, Measurable Government Targets and Policies: Adopt concrete broadband goals (e.g., South Africa’s aim for 95% coverage at 20 Mbps by 2026), with supportive spectrum allocation, subsidies, and tax incentives focused on rural underserved areas.
Invest in Digital Literacy and Local Capacity Building: Prioritize customized digital skills training for women and youth, community engagement, and nurturing local entrepreneurship.
Promote Inclusive Broadband Policy through Stakeholder Engagement: Engage rural communities, civil society, and leaders in policy design to ensure locally relevant and sustainable solutions.
Implement Affordable Tax and Fee Structures: Reduce tariffs on devices and equipment; introduce targeted subsidies or vouchers inspired by Kenya’s progressive mobile taxation model.
Adopt Innovative Network and Business Models: Use networks-as-a-service (NaaS), shared infrastructure, mesh networks, and satellite solutions to deliver cost-effective coverage.
Maximize Efficient Use of Spectrum and Emerging Technologies: Allocate low-frequency bands ideal for rural reach, enable dynamic spectrum sharing, deploy LEO satellites and solar-powered base stations to overcome geographic and power challenges.
Leverage Local Resources and Mobility: Use public transport vehicles as mobile connectivity hubs (“data mules”) and empower residents’ devices as network nodes, supporting community-managed, decentralized networks, as piloted in Ghana.

By expanding affordable, accessible, and relevant digital connectivity in rural Africa, millions gain the tools to improve health, education, livelihoods, and resilience, propelling inclusive growth and helping the continent bridge its digital divide for a sustainable and prosperous future.