Africa finds itself at a crossroads, battling the issue of poor internet connections at a time when connectivity is essential to international contact. Even while Africa has a wealth of opportunities for digital innovation and technical growth, many Africans still struggle with a painfully sluggish and inconsistent internet connection.
Slow internet speeds have long been a hindrance to progress across various sectors in Africa, from business and education to healthcare and governance, as a result, Africa seems to be playing catch-up with other regions in the tech space.
The impact of slow internet speed is particularly felt in remote and rural areas where internet and mobile penetration are yet to be substantial. Even in urban centers, where infrastructure may be more developed, issues such as bandwidth limitations and outdated technology contribute to sluggish internet performance.
Even with progress in the continent’s rate of internet and mobile penetration, Africa still endures some of the slowest internet speeds.
While a young population, and rapid embrace of new technologies are sure to reverse the continent’s connectivity issues, the reality as presently constructed, remains that Africa has some of the slowest internet speeds of this era.
See also: 10 African countries with the fastest internet speed at the start of 2024
With that said, below are the 10 African countries with the slowest internet speeds at the beginning of the new year. The data on this list is courtesy of the Speedtest Global Index. The figures date back to January 2024 and represent a median figure.
Speedtest Global Index ranked 181 countries across the globe.
| Rank | Country | Internet speed | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Niger | 5.22 | 178th |
| 2. | The Gambia | 5.34 | 177th |
| 3. | Burundi | 5.74 | 176th |
| 4. | Botswana | 7.25 | 175th |
| 5. | Liberia | 7.90 | 172nd |
| 6. | Sudan | 8.66 | 170th |
| 7. | Ethiopia | 8.70 | 169th |
| 8. | Tunisia | 9.02 | 168th |
| 9. | Cameroon | 9.22 | 167th |
| 10. | Libya | 9.56 | 166th |
source:africa.businessinsider
