Hi, Quartz Africa readers!
Mobile rising
It is easy to glaze over the impact of the mobile phone in Africa, particularly sub Saharan Africa. Often, it feels like this has already been well-established in all those presentations you’ve probably seen about how farmers can get their produce to the market on time thanks to SMS and a 2G Nokia phone. But the truth is mobile telephony’s impact in the region is still very much at an early stage and always worth reevaluating.
Between this year and 2023, mobile subscriptions are set to grow by an average of 6% a year to just under 1 billion subscribers in Sub Saharan Africa, from 700 million today, according to an upcoming report from telecommunications supplier Ericsson. Even more notable is mobile broadband subscriptions in the region are forecast to grow by 16% a year to 880 million by 2023 (from 350 million today).
These big numbers might feel inevitable. They feel inevitable because that’s how technology advances tend to work, growing exponentially from low numbers.
Yet, the impact is very real and the size of the numbers matter a lot, and not just because it means telecoms suppliers can sell more kit to mobile operators. Nearly every other story we cover about a wide range of topics in Africa is determined or affected by the role of mobile telephony.
Take Kenya this week, where the opposition leader called on supporters to protest the outcome of the last presidential election by boycotting the services of a few key companies including Safaricom. In effect, this was also a call to boycott M-Pesa, the world’s leading mobile money service, controlled by Safaricom. Billions of dollars, equivalent to nearly half of Kenya’s GDP, flow through M-Pesa every year. A comprehensive boycott of the service is a lot easier said than done, even the opposition itself found this.
In Somaliland, which is holding elections on Nov. 13, it has decided to block Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media platforms because it fears the scourge of “fake news” as its now known. The self-declared country joins the nearly 20 African countries that have done this since 2016, as we’ve reported. Meanwhile in Zimbabwe, where nearly half of all internet traffic goes to WhatsApp, the government, last month, blamed “economic saboteurs” spreading rumors online (98% of all traffic is mobile).
What’s notable about governments, institutions and organizations reacting to the perceived impact of mobile services today, is that as the Ericsson numbers show, there’s still plenty of growth to come. We’re still very much at the beginning of mobile’s impact. In other words, there will be more, not less, overreaction and handwringing as the availability of mobile phones and mobile internet in Sub Saharan Africa expands.
— Yinka Adegoke, Quartz Africa editor
Stories from this week
Despite what the World Bank says, Nigerians don’t find doing business any easier. The Nigerian government sent out press releases marking a 24-place jump up the index of countries in the World Bank’s Doing Business report. But Yomi Kazeem finds out from local business people around the country the reality on the ground is far from easy, despite changes by the government to entice international investors.
Jacob Zuma’s book corruption affairs are making South Africans read again. In The President’s Keepers, the investigate journalist Jacques Pauw delves into the cases and lives of the people who ensure that president Zuma remains in power and out of prison. As Lynsey Chutel writes, attempts to ban the book only strengthened its place as a market success and raised the profile of other coming books.
Africa could take China’s place as the world’s next factory. Africa is a bustling continent with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies over the next decade. But to create broad-based, lasting prosperity, Irene Yuan Sun explains how factories will help catalyze and improve living standards—and China will have a role in making this happen.
Backing Cameroon’s breakaway region from America’s suburbs. The English-speaking region of Cameroon is demanding independence as a sovereign nation called Ambazonia. The support for the breakaway state has been galvanized by Cameroonians as far as Maryland and Texas finds Ashley Okwuosa.
The tiny African island nation that’s going 100% renewable energy in less than a decade. Cape Verde has made a commitment to being fully run on renewable energy by 2025. It turns out the island nation, which is about 600 kilometers from Senegal, has several options including solar, wind and hydropower. The challenge is how to make them cost effective.
South Africa has tripled its black science doctoral graduates in a decade. Since 2013, South Africa has been graduating more black PhD students than white students. But those numbers don’t substitute for the challenges facing black students, including a lack of financing and employment opportunities reports Sarah Wild.
Chart of the week
Africa is the only continent where children have stunted growth and an obesity problem. Africa faces serious nutrition-related challenges that have left its children either growing obese or lacking enough nutrients to develop properly. As Abdi Latif Dahir writes, this nutrition problem affects not only human well-being but also health systems and long-term economic growth.
Other Things We Liked
Ethiopia has become the land of prying eyes. The influence of Ethiopia’s government is ever present, reaching into people’s affairs in tiny hamlets and big towns alike. As Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura reports in the New York Times, part of this is thanks to snooping farmers who act as informants and enforcers for the ruling party.
Listen: The Nigerian love affair with Nashville country singer Jim Reeves. For BBC Radio, Tayo Popoola travels around Nigeria to explore the enduring legacy of Nashville recording country artist Jim Reeves, who died more than 50 years ago. Reeves influenced many older Nigerians including the music of legendary juju musician, Ebenezer Obey, who is interviewed among other luminaries for the show.
How Britain did Gaddafi’s dirty work. Following 9/11 attacks, US and British intelligence forces wanted to create close ties with their counterparts in the Middle East and the Arab world. In a Guardian investigation, Ian Cobain reveals how the two Western nations went to “dark” lengths to please the former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Keep an eye on
Somaliland elections (Nov. 13). Somaliland will hold its presidential election, with more than 700,000 voters electing one of three candidates. The electoral commission announced it will restrict access to social media sites until the results are declared.
Kenya supreme court ruling (Nov. 14) Kenya’s supreme court has until Nov. 14 to consider and rule on petitions challenging the re-election of president Uhuru Kenyatta in the repeat vote. If his win is upheld, Kenyatta will be sworn in on Nov. 28.
Ghana 2018 budget estimates (Nov. 15) Finance minister Ken Ofori Atta will deliver the 2018 budget statement and fiscal policy. The country’s GDP grew to 9% in the second quarter of 2017, even though low commodity prices sharply slowed growth in recent years.
Our best wishes for a productive and thought-filled week ahead. Please send any news, comments, suggestions, unpublished Jacob Zuma books and rare Jim Reeves bootlegs to africa@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter at @qzafrica for updates throughout the day.
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