Users using internet-enabled phones in Africa are finding it simpler to organize meetings, play games, watch on-demand films, and listen to music. According to the newest numbers, at least 13 nations with average mobile internet rates of more than 25 mbps can now watch high definition films, with viewers spending up to 13 minutes each play.


When video-on-demand services were first offered to the Kenyan mobile market in 2015 (fibre-to-the-home was already a "thing" in Kenya's metropolitan centers by the end of the decade), a number of providers teamed up with mobile phone carriers to optimize bandwidth for quicker download rates.


Due to spotty internet connectivity and significantly different speeds around the country, many customers were compelled to relocate closer to wireless access points, less congested areas, or wait until late at night when traffic was light to view their favorite movies or television series on their smartphones.


In an interview with bird, Justus Ontita, a Kenyan Netflix user and promising gospel performer, recalled that "it would take a long time before internet films started playing, they would also halt multiple times during playback, and their visual quality were not as clear."


Many people in Africa can now view their favorite movies and TV episodes without buffering on YouTube and other streaming applications like Netflix, and listen to their favorite songs on platforms like Boomplay and Spotify whether they are in a Wi-Fi zone or using mobile data.


"Things have altered dramatically over time." "It's now simpler and more economical for aspiring musicians like me to post videos and distribute them across a variety of streaming platforms, allowing us to reach a worldwide audience," Ontita said.


Increased government and corporate sector investments in underwater cables, the expansion of mobile and related services, and rising demand are all contributing to faster internet speeds throughout the continent.


The shift online in response to the Covid-19 epidemic raised demand even further.


Individuals using Zoom for remote meetings and work calls need at least 1.5 megabits per second (mbps) to make decent quality group video chats, whereas Netflix recommends 15 mbps for ultra-high-definition (UHD) viewing (5 mbps for HD)


Speeds of 3 to 5 mbps are regarded fast enough for a flawless experience in mobile gaming, which is also developing rapidly on the continent (however latency, or the time it takes for data to travel from its source to its destination, is also important in online gaming, particularly group gaming).


According to a 2021 research commissioned by Newzoo, a games analytics firm, and Carry1st, a South African gaming platform, the number of gamers in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased to 186 million, with the bulk of players (95 percent) playing on mobile phones.


In an interview, Jay Shapiro, CEO of Nairobi-based Usiku Games, stated that two-dimensional (2D) "data light" casual games such as Candy Crush, Wordle, and Angry Birds account for the majority of what is played in Africa, but that internet speed is not an issue for them.


"Connectivity is vital for certain games, but the speed of that connectivity isn't critical." Because Africa is a mobile-first continent, they are so prevalent," Shapiro explained.


There is also a small group of Africans who play data-intensive games where speed is important. These games, according to Shapiro, will become more popular as people acquire more powerful gadgets and have access to high-speed internet.


The global average mobile download speed is 74.87 mbps, implying that Africa's greatest performers are still lagging behind the rest of the globe. However, there are signs that mobile internet speeds on the continent are increasing quicker than elsewhere.


Nigeria, Africa's largest mobile market, was conspicuously absent from the top ten. The continent's largest economy saw its average mobile speed improve from 22.73 megabits per second in April 2021 to 25.99 megabits per second today - not enough to put it into the top tier and a possible stifling of crucial economic sectors such as the expanding entertainment sector.


Not all tests are created equal.


According to the Speedtest Global, "Kano had the fastest median mobile download speed among Nigeria's most populated cities for Q1 2022 at 19.31 mbps."


The majority of viewing time was spent on large screens (mainly smart TVs) (57%) followed by computer viewing (19%) and mobile viewing (18%).


"Buffering – when a video pauses during playback to reload – improved across the board," according to the research, "with Africa benefiting the most, down 78 percent."


While Africa's total minutes per play (13.21) was second lowest behind Asia's (10.74), the region had the greatest increase in total minutes per play — up 153 percent.



Putting up regulations that allow satellite internet providers like Starlink to operate in markets like Kenya, as well as deploying fibre-optic into more schools through collaborative efforts between governments and non-governmental organizations, have been tipped as among the ways to bolster access to high-speed internet to remote parts of the continent.


Shapiro also advocated for a stronger effort to increase the use of high-speed mobile internet.




"Competitive adoption of fixed 5G wireless by telcos, or perhaps allowing a new market entrant to do precisely that, to avoid the need for expensive trenching to reach isolated towns," he added.