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Africa’s rise is realThe next wave of change is being driven by growing levels of internet access. Although internet penetrationlevels remain relatively low in Africa, with about 20% of Africans expected to be online by the end of 2014,that proportion has grown from only 10% in 2010 . With basic smartphones becoming more affordable (MTN,for example, recently launched a $50 smartphone in South Africa – half the price of what is considered theaffordability threshold) and growth in mobile broadband of over 40% (by far the highest in the world), access tointernet-based services and technology via mobile phones is likely to explode in the coming years. This will not onlyopen up numerous commercial opportunities, but also provide access to information and services in areas such aseducation, health and agriculture that could transform the lives of many millions of Africans....with evolving technological advancesSSA region is dominated by low cost 2G connections; however 3G and 4G penetration is expected to risesignificantly by 2017Technology mix – Number of connections (millions)900,0800,0700,0600,0500,0400,0300,0200,0100,00,02013 201719,312,432,77,72,4382,4330,2236,4279,9170,47,513,63,81,70,7160,7 212,4 266,5114,00,1 77,051,1442,7486,8 514,4 519,5 510,5 491,12007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20174G3G2GSource: GSMA Intelligence16