Africa has nearly closed its connectivity gap. So why are more than 900 million Africans who already have coverage still not online?
In this TechAfrica News podcast episode, Caroline Mbugua, HSC, Senior Director of Public Policy and Communications at GSMA, sat down with Akim Benamara, Founder of TechAfrica News, on the sidelines of MWC 2026 in Barcelona to discuss smartphone affordability, policy harmonisation, and Africa's usage gap.
They discuss tax reform, the Digital Africa Index, the Handset Coalition, and AI readiness. At the core is a shared idea: Africa's digital transformation depends on affordability, not just access.
About the Guest
Caroline Mbugua, HSC is Senior Director of Public Policy and Communications at GSMA, the association representing mobile operators worldwide. She leads advocacy with regulators and policymakers on issues like spectrum, taxation, and competition policy to advance connectivity across the continent.
The Luxury Tax Repeal and the Adoption That Followed
GSMA's South Africa Digitalisation Report recommended removing a luxury tax on entry-level smartphones. Government acted, and adoption in that category has since risen measurably.
The Digital Africa Index: Comparison as a Playbook
A free GSMA tool that lets governments benchmark digital policy against each other, showing the exact policies a higher-scoring country used rather than just where they rank.
Two Reasons Africa's Digital Policy Still Doesn't Align
Mbugua points to a lack of Pan-African drive behind national legislation and a shortage of regulator capacity building, with cross-border data flow harmonisation as the clearest unfinished piece.
The Handset Coalition's $30–40 Smartphone
With Africa's coverage gap nearly closed, GSMA's Handset Coalition is now targeting a $30 to $40 smartphone to get 900 million already-covered Africans actually online.
AI Adoption, Regulatory Modernisation, and Africa's Debut at MWC Barcelona
Mbugua sees real near-term opportunity for AI in healthcare and manufacturing, but is direct about its ceiling:
"AI will not happen if we don't address smartphone affordability. Right now, we would only be addressing AI for 28 percent of the African population, the ones we already have online. If 28 percent of the population is the target audience that's going to benefit from AI, then we are doing ourselves a huge disservice. The greatest impact of AI would be addressing the smartphone affordability issue. Then we can get more and more Africans online who can actually benefit from the different solutions that AI will bring. " — Caroline Mbugua, HSC,, Senior Director of Public Policy and Communications, GSMA
Mbugua also points to technology-neutral licensing and spectrum reform as the next decade's biggest lever, as Africa debuts its first dedicated pavilion at MWC Barcelona.
Thank you for listening The TechAfrica News Podcast in Partnership with Smart Africa! For more insights, subscribe to our podcast and visit:
www.techafricanews.com/podcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network.
© 2026 TechAfrica News & The TechAfrica News Podcast. All rights reserved.
