This article is published in partnership with Gcore

The digital landscape across African nations has undergone a remarkable transformation in the past decade. With 2022 heralding some 570 million active users across Africa, that figure is set to keep rising and, if projections remain on the same trajectory, will reach over 890 million people by 2028.

Thanks to the affordability of mobile connections, which eliminates the need for the infrastructure required by traditional desktop PCs with fixed-line internet connections, the benefits of the new digital age have been felt across all the continent’s societal and economic sectors. As more and more of Africa has been “lit up”, there has been a surge in web- and app-based opportunities driven by the social media, ecommerce, and fintech services (especially important for a continent where around half of the population is unbanked).

However, despite the rising number of users, the internet penetration rate only stood at 43% in 2021, below the global rate of 66%. And, while internet penetration and accessibility are increasing, there remains a striking divide between different African countries as internet penetration rate varies substantially across and within regions.

One of the leading global infrastructure providers dedicated to closing this accessibility gap is Gcore. With an intrinsic belief that everyone deserves to have a high-quality web experience regardless of where they live, Gcore’s mission is to make the internet a better place for all. The company achieves this by delivering web experiences with superior accessibility and minimal latency, all reinforced by high-quality, secure performance regardless of global location.

Gcore’s infrastructure for Africa

With over 150 points of presence (PoPs) worldwide, Gcore plans to continue expanding its network’s presence across Africa. Gcore’s African infrastructure offers reliable access to these markets for international companies, while providing dependable connectivity to the global marketplace for Africa’s businesses and communities alike. To achieve this, Gcore offers a next-generation content delivery network (CDN) that helps businesses to accelerate the dynamic and static content of their websites and applications.

Since Gcore’s entry into the African market in 2019, it has steadily grown its PoPs across the continent as part of its pledge to enable barrier-free, worldwide networking for all and to speed Africa’s participation in the global economy. With six more PoPs planned for the near future, Gcore currently has fifteen active PoPs in Africa.

Powering the way

African nations are ready and willing to embrace the opportunities that the digital era has to offer and, with more than 600 million people across the continent set to be using smartphones by 2025, Africa stands on the brink of an explosive digital technology era. But adoption relies heavily on reliable coverage so that users can properly engage with, and benefit from, web-based experiences and applications.

And it doesn’t stop with the end user. Optimised internet infrastructure opens the door to increased regional investment as both local and global businesses realise digital African markets’ potential. Whether online education start-ups, international healthcare, or financial organisations looking to expand in the region, optimised content delivery supports the development of local entrepreneurship and regional initiatives while making outside investment more attractive for entities. Better African internet infrastructure is a win-win.

Through its extended internet infrastructure in the region, Gcore is able to meet this demand, providing better, faster, and safer internet connectivity. The advanced web experience offered by Gcore provides a firm foundation for all African nations to make their mark on the global economy.

Gcore CDN is a next-generation content delivery network that helps businesses accelerate the dynamic and static content of websites or applications. Gcore CDN has numerous built-in web security features and operates through a rapidly growing infrastructure with over 150 points of presence across six continents.