MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita has cited issues hampering digital ambitions in much of Africa, highlighting smartphone prices need to be well below $40 to crack the usage gap on the continent.
During a wide-ranging interview with Mobile World Live, Mupita, who is also the Deputy Chair of GSMA, cited a number of challenges and opportunities for pushing forward digital technology in the region.
“The big challenge in Africa is energy, only about 600 million Africans out of probably 1.3 to 1.4 billion have a reliable form of energy that’s connected to their home, work etc. We’re finding ways and solutions around that in terms of off grid, so that’s a big structural challenge. But it’s also an opportunity”.
“The other one is really the usage gap,” he added. “That’s really about device affordability,” pointing to initiatives to bring the cost of smartphones down to $40 or below.
“I think if we’re to really crack the problem we need to go much further south of $40, for everyday Africans to access a device.”
Another area Mupita was quick to highlight was the issue of a lack of regulatory harmony across the continent.
“The regulations are quite different from different markets,” he added, noting if he had a magic wand he would love to create “a consistent regulatory framework that enables the cost of doing business to come down”.
To view the full interview, where the executive also discusses the importance of local language AI models, click here.
