GSMA Report Shows Senegal Could Bring 2.6 Million New Users Online With Targeted Digital Reforms by 2030

Senegal could bring 2.6 million more people online, expand access to essential digital services, and unlock new opportunities in education, health, finance and agriculture by 2030, according to a new GSMA  report launched today at the Digital Africa Summit Senegal.

The study – Driving Digital Transformation of the Economy in Senegal  – finds that targeted reforms to improve affordability, digital skills and modernise regulation would significantly reduce the country’s 54% usage gap , enabling millions more citizens to participate fully in the digital economy.

While these reforms are projected to generate FCFA 1,100 billion in economic value and create 280,000 new jobs, the report highlights that the most significant impact will be improving people’s lives and supporting Senegal’s ambitions under the New Deal Technologique 2034.

“Senegal has all the ingredients to become one of Africa’s most dynamic digital economies, from strong national strategies to a young, ambitious population ready to participate. But millions of people are still held back by the cost of devices, skills gaps and access barriers. By focusing on affordability, digital skills and an enabling policy environment, Senegal can unlock opportunities for every community – from farmers and traders to students, entrepreneurs and public service users. These reforms can transform digital access into real, meaningful impact for people, while strengthening Senegal’s long-term economic resilience.”

–Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA

 

Strengthening Senegal’s Digital Future

Senegal has made significant progress in expanding digital access, underpinned by national strategies such as Digital Senegal 2025, the Senegal Digital Economy Acceleration Project (PAENS), and the New Deal Technologique 2034. These programmes reflect the country’s commitment to making digital technology a driver of inclusion, opportunity and national development.

Mobile connectivity sits at the heart of this transition – supporting everyday communication, enabling mobile money, expanding access to education and health services and opening new pathways for economic activity across agriculture, manufacturing, services, and government.

GSMA analysis shows that Senegal now has 97% 4G population coverage and 39% 5G population coverage, with 8.16 million unique mobile internet users, equivalent to 43% of the population. Despite this strong infrastructure footprint, 54% of the population live within coverage but do not use mobile internet, highlighting a significant usage gap driven by affordability challenges, limited digital skills, and the high cost of smartphones.

The report underscores that achieving Senegal’s digital ambitions will require people-centred reforms focused on reducing barriers to access, promoting sustainable investment, and modernising the policy and regulatory environment to ensure digital services are accessible, affordable and trusted.

Five Reforms to Advance Digital Inclusion

The GSMA outlines five priority areas where policy reforms could make the biggest difference to people’s digital access:

1. Improve affordability for citizens
   Removing taxes on entry-level smartphones, reducing data-related levies, and expanding national digital skills programmes would significantly lower the barriers that keep millions offline.
2. Strengthen infrastructure to reach underserved communities.
   A more predictable investment environment – including streamlined rights-of-way processes, clearer, lower spectrum prices, and longer license durations (min 20 years) in line with international best practice – would enable more reliable coverage and better service quality nationwide.
3. Expand access through stronger energy-telecoms alignment
   Improving power supply to digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas, would enhance network reliability and help ensure communities can depend on essential digital services.
4. Modernise regulation to support innovation and public service delivery
   Updates to licensing frameworks, ensuring regulatory parity among service providers, supporting emerging technologies, and clearer governance structures can create conditions for faster, more inclusive digital adoption.
5. Scale digital public services to deepen participation
   Accelerating e-government, digital payments, and digital health systems would significantly strengthen uptake by making digital tools relevant to everyday life.

What These Reforms Could Mean for People by 2030

If implemented, the reforms would help millions more Senegalese participate in the digital economy, particularly in regions and communities that remain underserved today. By 2030, Senegal could

• Connect 2.6 million new users, raising mobile internet adoption to 61% of the population with the biggest gains among women, young people and rural communities where usage gaps are highest.

• Bridge regional divides, enabling citizens in Casamance, Kaffrine, Kédougou, Louga and other underserved areas to access the same digital opportunities currently concentrated around Dakar and Thiès.
• Improve affordability for low-income households, reducing the cost of an entry-level smartphone, currently 19% of monthly GDP per capita, and lowering barriers for the poorest 40% of the population.
• Support farmers, traders and SMEs to access digital marketplaces, mobile payments and climate-smart agriculture tools, strengthening key sectors that drive livelihoods across Senegal.
• Expand access to digital health, education and government services, advancing priorities under PAENS, the Digital Senegal 2025 programme, and the New Deal Technologique 2034.
• Create 280,000 new jobs, particularly for Senegal’s young and growing population, across services, manufacturing, telecoms-adjacent industries and the emerging digital economy.
• Increase national revenue by FCFA 417 billion, through greater digital participation and more efficient, technology-enabled tax systems – supporting fiscal space for public investment.