GSMA to Pilot $40 Smartphones in Africa

The initiative is a direct response to Africa's significant "usage gap," where hundreds of millions of people live within mobile broadband coverage but remain offline. Handset affordability is consistently cited as the single largest barrier to mobile internet adoption in sub-Saharan Africa. The coalition, which includes major mobile operators like MTN, Orange, and Vodacom, as well as the World Bank, aims to create a market for these devices at a price point that could bring tens of millions online. The six pilot countries—Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda—were chosen to kickstart the initiative in 2026. In these nations, the cost of an entry-level smartphone can be a substantial portion of a person's monthly income. For instance, in Uganda, the cheapest smartphone can cost the equivalent of 96% of the monthly income for the poorest households, with taxes accounting for 35% of that price. Similarly, for the most impoverished Rwandans, a basic smartphone and 1GB of data can consume up to 60% of their monthly earnings. A major headwind for the $40 smartphone goal is the current global surge in memory component prices, which is making it increasingly difficult to manufacture low-cost devices. This price pressure on components like DRAM and NAND is forcing manufacturers of entry-level phones to either raise prices or cut back on production. This makes the GSMA's call for governments to reduce or eliminate taxes and import duties on affordable smartphones even more critical to achieving the target price. The move from basic feature phones to 4G-capable smartphones is crucial for meaningful digital participation, allowing users to access educational resources, financial services, and e-commerce platforms. Beyond just the cost of the device, however, digital literacy remains another significant barrier to internet adoption. In response, organizations like the GSMA and its partners have been running digital skills training programs across the continent, including in pilot countries like Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda, to ensure new users can effectively utilize the internet. The pilot programs represent a significant step from industry alignment to on-the-ground impact, building on minimum requirements for low-cost 4G devices established at MWC Kigali in 2025. The GSMA and its coalition partners are set to reconvene at MWC Kigali in June 2026 to evaluate the progress of these pilots. The success of this initiative will not only depend on the collaboration between mobile operators and manufacturers but also heavily on the support of the public sector in creating a favorable policy environment.