By AfricaTek News editor.
Publication date: March 26th, 2017
The internet is increasingly an integral part of Africans day-to-day lives. Out of the over 1. 2 billion African population, about 335 million have access to the internet. This according to World Internet Statistics translates to a 26.9% internet access rate.
While Africa accounts for 15.0% of the world’s population, only 6.2% of the World’s Internet subscribers are Africans.
The traditional media (i.e. radio, television and print media) still holds a leading role in information dissemination. However they greatly contribute to online content reaching those who do not have access to the internet.
The growth rate in internet usage on the continent is quite high, even as Africa still lags behind compared to other continents.
North America is at 88.1% internet usage in the whole population. Europe is at 76.7%, the Middle East 56.5%, while Latin America and the Caribbeans are at 59.4%.
Africa is at only 9.1% of the global Internet usage but like everywhere else, mobile technology is the leading contributor to internet access and usage growth on the continent.
The top internet using African Countries are;
7. Uganda
Internet Access Rate: 28.6 % of the population.
Uganda is an East African country and the world’s second most populous landlocked country in the world with an estimated population of 41.6 million; of which less than half have access to the internet.
About 12 million Ugandan people have access to the internet which represents about 3.6% of Africa’s total usage.
6. Algeria:
Internet Access Rate: 16.5% of the population.
Algeria is 6th on the list with an estimated 41, 063, 753 population and internet access to 15,000,000 people, which adds 4.5% to Africa’s internet use.
5. Morocco
Internet Access Rate: 57.3% of the population.
Ranking as the 5th highest internet using African country, the largely Arab nation contributes about 4.5% of the continents total.
In Morocco 20,207,154, out of an estimated population of 35,241,418, have access to the internet. This means that well over half of the country’s population
use the internet.
4. South Africa
Internet Access Rate: 51.6% of the population.
South Africa has an estimated population of 55,436,360 with 28, 580, 290 enjoying internet access. S. A makes up 8.5% of Africa’s total internet usage.
3. Kenya
Internet Access Rate: 66% of the population.
Out of an estimated 48,466,928 million people, 31,985,048 Kenyans have access to the internet. Kenya contributes 9.5% of the continents total internet usage.
2. Egypt
Internet Access Rate: 36.5% of the population.
Egypt has an estimated population of 95,215,102; out of which 34,800,000 have access to the internet. This gives an internet penetration rate of 36.5%. Egypt is Africa’s 2nd highest internet using country for making up 10.4% of the continent’s total.
1. Nigeria
Internet Access Rate: 47.9% of the population.
Africa’s most populated country, Nigeria has an estimated 191,835,936 people and about 91,880,032 of that population with access to the internet. Nigeria tops the chart as Africa’s highest internet using country for making up 27.4% of the continents total usage.
