The novel coronavirus has, in many ways, grossly affected the lives of people. In order to protect the health of the population and possibly curb the spread of the virus, countries around the world introduced containment measures including hard lockdow …

Increased access and use of the Internet has led to the advancement of online labour, which is driving the gig economy. The ‘platformisation’ of the global economy enables virtual labour mobility—the remote buying and selling of digital labour, which i …

In anticipation of the entry of a new player in the market, mobile operators engaged in price war leading to a more than 70% decrease in data prices between the first quarter of 2018 and that of 2019. Despite data prices in Zambia being significantly l …

Collecting and building a reliable and up to date price database that captures the real costs of data products is a significant component of policy formulation, as prices are a crucial component in assessing affordability and benchmarking exercises, Ca …

In line with global commitments to improve digital inclusion and to realise the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, the Government of Uganda has committed the country to developing a digital vision for Uganda. It aims to build a digitally-enabled s …

Information communication technology (ICT), and particularly broadband technologies, have been identified as critical drivers of social and economic growth and development. Smartphones, in particular, have revolutionised the telecommunications industry …

Mozambique has a challenging path ahead if it is to realise the full potential of the ICT sector in developing its economy and to make progress on the information communication technology targets that are intended as enabling the achievement of the Uni …

There has been considerable hype about the potential of online work to contribute to economic growth and development and ameliorate unemployment in Africa through the creation of jobs, particularly ‘decent work’, by freeing citizens from geographic con …

Increasing Internet connections suggest a bridging of the digital divide yet, as more people are connected, digital inequality paradoxically increases. Inequality exists not only between people online and offline, but also between those who have the sk …

At a time when the ICT sector is most needed to bolster Nigeria’s ailing national economy, the sector finds itself under considerable political and regulatory pressure, with the country sliding down global indices and some players even preparing to exi …

There is extensive evidence now that, as technology evolves from basic voice services to that of broadband, the value of networks increases exponentially with significant multiplier effects impacting positively on economic growth and individual well-be …

Almost half of South Africans (47%) over the age of 15 years do not use the Internet. After collecting information on the access and use of ICTs in nine African countries, the Survey identifies the affordability of devices and data services as the main …

The Tanzanian mobile market has been one of the most vibrant markets on the continent as a result of higher competition and an enabling wholesale cost environment. Consumers have been the beneficiaries of fierce pricing strategies yet this dynamism has …

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are recognised by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states as enablers of stronger economic development. Yet, these countries are still grappling with slow and unreliable broadban …

Lesotho has the lowest broadband penetration despite extensive 3G and some 4G coverage. About 70% of Lesotho resident have never used the Internet. The low level of Internet use is attributed to high mobile telecommunication services and products. Usin …

Almost half of the South African population is still not using the Internet although the major service providers have changed their data strategies. A major factor for this could be the high cost of data products and smartphone devices. The supply-side …

The Rwandan telecommunications sector has shown particularly strong growth in recent years, due to a vibrant economy and championing of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the highest level. ICT is a central engine to driving Rwanda’s tra …

While Lesotho has made significant progress towards its national vision of 2020, it faces several challenges as a small landlocked, lower-middle income country, with mountainous terrain and low population density outside of the capital, Maseru. The fiv …

The telecommunication market in Botswana has experienced significant policy and regulatory changes over the last decade, which have not led to mobile market price reductions as expected. While the country seems to not have benefitted from the heavy fib …