SCN 38-595 Suggested by Clive Tasker THE FIVE TRENDS POWERING AFRICA'S ENDURING ALLURE TREND 3: LEAPFROGGING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY by Simon Freemantle From: “Africa Macro - Insight & Strategy”, Standard Bank, September 23, 2011. http://ws9.standardbank.co.za/sbrp Reproduced by The European House-Ambrosetti for the Forum “Developing the Regions of Africa and Europe”, Taormina, October 6 and 7, 2011.
SCN 38-595 Simon Freemantle Suggested by Clive Tasker by 2 Africa Macro Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011 3000 4500 6000 Figure 3: Still, penetration remains comparatively low 15 mn Pac Arab Figure 2: Africa’s mobile phone revolution 120 160 States 150 300 450 600 As Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011 40 10 15 20 25 80 as Sources: ITU, Standard Bank Research Sources: ITU, Standard Bank Research Sources: ITU, Standard Bank Research 5 o p a 0 0 ia 0 0
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SCN
38-595
Suggested by Clive Tasker
THE FIVE TRENDS POWERING AFRICA'S ENDURING ALLURE
TREND 3: LEAPFROGGING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
by
Simon Freemantle From: “Africa Macro - Insight & Strategy”, Standard Bank, September 23, 2011.
http://ws9.standardbank.co.za/sbrp
Reproduced by The European House-Ambrosetti for the Forum “Developing the Regions of Africa and Europe”, Taormina, October 6 and 7, 2011.
2 Africa Macro
Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011
Leapfrogging through technology
Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011
3 Africa Macro
Across the world, technological enhancements are funda-
mentally altering the way human beings connect, communi-
cate and transact, providing new sources of commercial
nutrition. Consider that, where in 2000 there were approxi-
mately 360 million (mn) internet users worldwide, by 2011
this number had swelled to over 2 billion (bn). According to
the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), by the
end of 2010 there were an estimated 5.3 bn mobile cellular
subscriptions worldwide, including 940 mn subscriptions to
3G services (Figure 1). Staggeringly, in 2010 alone, roughly
200,000 text messages were sent globally every second,
which, assuming an average cost of USD0.07 per message,
would have generated USD840,000 in revenue for mobile
operators each minute (and over USD1.2 bn per day). More
recently, social media has captured the imagination—and
enabled deeper communication on an unprecedented scale.
Importantly, these developments have included, indeed are
increasingly being led, by participants in the developing
world. At present, access to mobile networks is available to
90% of the world‟s population, and 80% of those residing in
rural areas. Three-quarters of the world‟s mobile subscribers
are found in the developing world, up from half in 2005; in
2010 alone India and China added an estimated 300 mn
mobile subscriptions.
Unlike in the past, Africa has not been left stranded. The
continent‟s population has vigorously embraced technology
in general, and telecommunications in particular, as a
means to enhance socio-economic prosperity. This
„revolution‟ in Africa is allowing the continent to leapfrog
traditional stages of development, contributing to the forging
of a new, and more appropriate, economic course. Ulti-
mately, in many ways, technological advancements, and the
manner in which they have been absorbed in Africa, are
assisting in gradually narrowing the persistent gap between
Africa‟s and the rest of the developing world‟s developmen-
tal trajectories.
Mobile telephony has been transformative
In no area has the terrain altered more seismically than in
mobile telephony. Much of the importance of mobile phones
in the African context rests in the manner in which they al-
low Africans to sidestep pervasive infrastructure constraints,
share information more freely, thus making markets more
efficient, and stimulate and support entrepreneurial verve.
Where in 2000 there were only 15 mn mobile subscriptions
on the continent, by the end of 2010 there were believed to
be over 500 mn (Figure 2). Accounting for multiple subscrip-
tions (many people hold more than one sim card), it is likely
that around one in three Africans currently subscribe to one
of the continent‟s mobile service providers. As such, consid-
ering mobile penetration rates in excess of 100% in much of
the advanced world, substantial room remains for continued
growth in the African mobile phone industry (Figure 3).
Sources: ITU, Standard Bank Research
Sources: ITU, Standard Bank Research
Sources: ITU, Standard Bank Research
Figure 1: Telecommunications connecting a flatter world
and western coasts to international networks are set to dra-
matically alter overall connectivity (Figure 12). In particular,
African corporate enterprises—large and small—will benefit
from the increasing bandwidth capacity and reduced cost of
internet services. On the east coast of the continent, three
cables are of particular importance: The East African Sub-
marine Cable System (EASSy), which is owned and oper-
ated by a group of 16 African (92%) and international (8%)
telecommunications operators and service providers; The
East African Marine System (TEAMS), which is co-owned
by the Kenyan public-private consortium TEAMs (Kenya)
Sources: Facebook, Standard Bank Research
Source: World Bank, PPI Database, Africa Infrastructure Diagnostic
Sources: Standard Bank Research
Figure 10: Top 20 countries by Facebook users (Jun 11)
Figure 11: Funding for African infrastructure
Figure 12: New cables elevate African connectivity
USD72 bn
0
20
40
60
80
Total Transport Telecom Energy Water & Sanitation
Public and donor Private
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Users('000) Penetration rate (%) RHS
Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011
7 Africa Macro
Ltd (85%) and Etisalat (15%); and Seacom, a privately-
owned and operated cable system which has already at-
tracted investment of around USD600 mn.
And on the west coast of the continent, the region‟s primary
connection in the past (SAT-3), is being bolstered by the
following cable linkages: MainOne (privately-owned); Globa-
com(Glo)-1, which is owned by the Nigerian mobile operator
Globacom; The West African Cable System (WACS), which
is owned by a consortium of mostly private investors
(including MTN, which has invested USD90 mn in the cable,
allowing it to receive 11% of its initial capacity); and Africa
Coast to Europe (ACE), which is owned by the ACE consor-
tium, led by France Telecom. The capacity and reach of the
various new cables differs substantially, though, importantly,
and in large part as a result of the landing in 2009 and 2010
of some of these cables, Africa‟s international bandwith ca-
pacity has increased 120 times to over 10 terabits per sec-
ond (Tbps) since 2008 (Figure 13).
However, intra-African backhaul networks are essential in
order to distribute the advantages of these new cables and
maximise their anticipated economic gains. At present 88%
of Africa‟s terrestrial backbone infrastructure is wireless,
with the remaining 12% comprising fibre-optic cable. For
mobile operators, 99% of total infrastructure is wireless,
though fixed operators are more balanced with 60% wire-
less and 40% optical fibre. Regardless, in the absence of
substantial investments in elevating current intra-regional
linkages, for large areas, and in particular landlocked coun-
tries, broadband costs will remain excessively high—
consider that backbone optical fibre networks are up to 90%
cheaper and offer significantly higher bandwith (satellite
networks have a maximum capacity of around 10 megabits
per second (Mbps) compared to over 1 Tbps for fibre net-
works). Investment in intra-regional networks is also likely to
focus on areas with high user demand, the majority of which
will be urban.
Africa has pioneered innovative ICT solutions
Much of the growth in information and communications tech-
nology (ICT) access in Africa in recent years has been in-
spired by innovative approaches to challenging market con-
ditions. Infrastructure constraints, exacerbated by geo-
graphical fragmentation, have added particular pressure.
Meanwhile, competition amongst Africa‟s core mobile opera-
tors has been increasingly fierce, particularly as around 95%
of all users on the continent are prepaid, and, as such, more
likely to shift to new operators. Consider that, where aver-
age revenue per user (ARPU) per month in 2009 was
USD57 in Japan, and USD36 in Europe, it was only USD9.8
in Kenya and USD12.7 in Nigeria. Firms such as MTN and
Airtel have used a variety of innovative methods to ensure
profitability, such as outsourcing of back-office operations,
dynamic tarriffing, and borderless roaming.
Sources: Standard Bank Research
Sources: RIA Household Surveys, Standard Bank Research
Sources: Safaricom, Standard Bank Research
Figure 13: Africa’s connections multiply
Figure 14: Nigeria, household internet access mode
Figure 15: M-Pesa’s success has been engaging
0
5000
10000
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20000
25000
30000
0
4
8
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16
Ap
r-07
Jul
Oct
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Jul
Oct
Jan
-09
Ap
r
Jul
Oct
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-10
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Jul
Oct
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-11
Ap
r
Number of M-Pesa customers (mn)
Number of agent outlets countrywide RHS
280x increase
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AC
E
WA
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Glo
-1
Main
One
Seaco
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TE
AM
S
SA
T-3
Capacity Landing points RHS
Gigabits No. of African countries
Modem dial-up,
44.96%
ISDN dial-up, 4.08%
ADSL, 0.10%Leased
line, 3.00%
Wireless, 18.45%
Mobile phone,
18.89%
Other, 10.52%
Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011
8 Africa Macro
Yet it is in the area of mobile money transfers where Africa
has been most pioneering, using innovative means to create
new economic opportunities. From a virtually non-existent
base five years ago, it is estimated that there will be up-
wards of 350 mn users of mobile money transfer services in
Africa in 2015. Mobile money offers a swifter, safer and
more cost effective means to transfer money, and has been
revolutionary in the manner in which it has extended finan-
cial services to the informal economy.
Kenyan mobile operator Safaricom‟s M-Pesa service has
led the charge. Since its inception in 2007 M-Pesa‟s growth
has been staggering—as at 31 April this year over 14 mn
Kenyans were served by 27,988 M-Pesa agent outlets
(compared to less than 1,000 bank branches) throughout
the country (Figure 15). In 2010, these 14 mn Kenyan M-
PESA users transferred an estimated USD7 bn, equivalent
to 20% of national gross domestic product (GDP), through
M-Pesa. Perhaps most demonstratively, M-Pesa‟s success
has spawned over 60 similar programmes across the globe.
Some are already showing signs of comparative success.
For instance, since launching mobile money services in
partnership with Stanbic Bank in Uganda, MTN has already
amassed over 3,000 mobile banking agents across the
country. By the end of August 2010, MTN had 1.2 mn mo-
bile money subscribers, transferring a monthly average of
USD60 mn, 60% of which was sent from urban to rural ar-
eas. In 2010, the Bank of Uganda recorded USD400 mn
worth of mobile money transfers, with registered mobile
money customers quadrupling from 552,000 in 2009 to
around 2 mn by the end of 2010.
Beyond mobile money transfers, mobile phone usage has
supported various poverty-alleviation and empowerment
schemes across Africa. For example, in 2009, MTN
Uganda, in partnership with Google and the Grameen Foun-
dation, launched five mobile phone applications aimed at
providing real-time health and agricultural information, and a
virtual marketplace for trading goods and services. Among
the applications are Google Trader, which, through match-
ing buyers and sellers of agricultural produce and commodi-
ties, allows local small-holder farmers to broaden trading
networks and reduce transaction costs. Another application,
Farmer‟s Friend, provides a searchable database through
which users can access agricultural advice and weather
forecasts. And, Health Tips and Clinic Finder provide health-
care support for rural households, the importance of which
is borne out by the assertion that, according to McKinsey
Global Institute research, upwards of 80% of all health is-
sues can be solved by mobile phone, at a cost per capita
that is 90% lower than that of traditional healthcare models.
The economic effects of ICT are profound
Evidence is mounting of the economic gains possible from
elevated ICT access throughout the developing world. Ac-
Sources: Eijkmann et al., Economist (2010), Standard Bank Research
Sources: World Bank, Standard Bank Research
Sources: World Resources Institute, IFC, Standard Bank Research
Figure 16: Ave. daily value of M-Pesa client transactions
Figure 17: Growth effects of ICT
Figure 18: Burkina Faso, BOP spending on ICT
-400
0
400
800
Rural District Urban City
Cash in Cash out Net cash in
Ksh '000
BOP3000
BOP2500
BOP2000
BOP1500BOP1000 BOP500
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
Fixed Mobile Internet Broadband
High-income countries
Low-and-middle income countries
Economic growth, percentage points
Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011
9 Africa Macro
cording to the World Bank, for every 10 percentage points
(pps) increase in fixed line access, economic growth is likely
to advance by 0.43 pps in high-income countries, and 0.73
pps in low-and middle-income countries. An even more ro-
bust relationship is evident in mobile, internet and broad-
band access—indeed, a 10 pps increase in broadband
penetration could effect an increase in economic growth of
up to 1.21 pps in high-income countries and as much as
1.38 pps in low-and middle-income countries (Figure 17).
Elaborating on these positive linkages, the World Bank has
further found that an extra 10 phones for every 100 people
in an average developing country could boost GDP growth
in the respective economy by as much as 0.8 pps. Further-
more, Booz and Company have found that a 10% increase
in broadband penetration in a specific year is correlated to
1.5% greater labour productivity growth over the following
five years. Considering the room for expansion in the major-
ity of African markets, it is clear that rapid uptake of mobile
telephony is likely to continue to provide substantial support
for wider growth aspirations. Indeed, recent evidence in
Kenya adds credence to these assertions. Without the tele-
communications industry, it is estimated that Kenya‟s GDP
growth since 2000 would have been 0.9 percentage points
lower on average. And, a recent study has also shown how
the incomes of Kenyan rural households have increased by
5%-30% since they began using mobile banking.
Conclusion
Few alterations of Africa‟s macroeconomic vista have been
as noticeable and inclusive as the growth of the continent‟s
ICT sector. Already, Africa‟s base of the pyramid (BOP)
consumers spend USD4.4 bn per year on ICT. As incomes
rise, so too will spending on ICT products and services—for
instance, in Burkina Faso, 1% of household spending in the
BOP500 market is allocated to ICT, whereas 5% of house-
hold spending is allocated to ICT in the BOP3,000 category
(Figure 18). Crucially, Africa has not been a bystander in the
manner in which telecommunications is able to alter lives,
and create new economic opportunities. Increasingly, as
incomes elevate, investment in broadening critical infra-
structure will enhance nascent gains.
Yet, optimism in the ability of ICT enhancements to raise
productivity and growth should not disguise the substantial
impediments which remain. While new cables are likely to
drastically alter the cost and speed of broadband connec-
tions, the majority of Africans will remain locked out of these
improvements should supportive backhaul networks not be
created. Fortunately, private funding for ICT in Africa is con-
siderably less elusive than it is for other infrastructure priori-
ties. Yet, too many markets remain inadequately liberalised
for the gains of telecommunications to effectively percolate
throughout the economy. Quite clearly, those countries
adopting pragmatic and investor-friendly policies in the ICT
space will gain an edge in unlocking the potentially profound
gains ICT is able to generate.
The first two reports in this series dealt with Africa‟s rising,
youthful, and urbanising population. While opportunities
within this demographic and locational shift are lucid, they
are by no means inherent. Institutional support will be of
fundamental importance in order to ensure that a rising
population is able to find the means for economic better-
ment. Supporting and stimulating further advances in ICT
will be a critically important determinant separating those
that triumph and those that falter. The availability and af-
fordability of mobile and broadband services can, as it al-
ready has in key markets, support economic growth and
provide one of the means through which Africa‟s human
capital advantage can become pronounced. The pace of
change is likely to continue to be robust; those actors—be
they firms, development institutions, or governments—
approaching these alterations innovatively will be rewarded.
Through embracing telecommunications with such vigour,
Africans have bridged a gap in the developmental trajectory
with much of the emerging world—creating solutions based
on local market fundamentals, suited to the proclivities and
pockets of African consumers, and geared towards broad-
ening the beneficiaries of nascent socio-economic gains.
References
Cilliers, J; Hughes, B; Moyer, J. 2011. African Fu-
tures 2050: The next forty years. Institute for Security
Studies, Monograph 175. January 2011.
International Telecommunications Union. 2010. The
World in 2010: ICT Facts and Figures.
McKinsey Global Institute. 2010. Africa’s path to
growth: Sector by sector. McKinsey Quarterly, June
2010.
Qiang, C; Rossotto, C; and Kimura, K. 2009. Eco-
nomic Impacts of Broadband: Chapter 3 of the Infor-
mation and Communications for Development 2009:
Extending Reach and Increasing Impact report,
World Bank, Washington, DC.
The Economist. 2009c. Mobile marvels: A special
report on telecoms in emerging markets. Economist
Print Edition, September 6 2009.
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Ripe for reappraisal. Financial Times, May 18, 2011.
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10 Africa Macro
Insight & Strategy — 23 September 2011
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11 Africa Macro
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