African telecoms – special report

As Africa locked down, national and local economies were upended. Businesses and schools closed, investors retreated and food insecurity increased. Hospitality, tourism and the financial industry were hardest hit. Yet one sector, telecommunications, has grown stronger during the pandemic, thanks to a powerful surge in demand as hundreds of millions of Africans reached for their phones. They have not let go since.

A year into the pandemic, telcos stand on the brink of a historic opportunity. From a push into banking to transformational infrastructure investments, Covid-19 could be a rocket booster for a sector which has already gained a reputation as a 21st century African success story.

In this special dossier, we look at the huge opportunities that are opening up in telecoms, and ask Africa’s leading executives how they intend to capitalise on immense new demand for data, broadband connections and infrastructure.