Only 9 African Countries Have Active MVNO Markets as Subscribers Could Hit 39.6 Million by 2030
The mobile telecommunications market in Africa could be heading for a major shift as millions more subscribers are expected to use services provided by Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) over the coming years.
A new assessment of the African MVNO market found that only nine of the continent’s 54 countries currently have active MVNO operations, showing that the business model is still at an early stage despite Africa’s huge mobile subscriber base.
The 2026 Africa MVNO Report projects that the number of MVNO subscribers across those operational markets could rise from about 7.9 million in 2025 to 39.6 million by 2030.
The projection points to significant room for expansion if more African countries create the regulatory and commercial conditions needed for MVNOs to operate successfully.
Africa Has the Mobile Users, but MVNO Growth Remains Limited
According to the report, about 83 per cent of the African markets assessed do not currently have an active MVNO market.
That may look surprising considering the size of Africa’s telecommunications industry. The continent already has close to 1.5 billion mobile subscriptions, but having millions of mobile users does not automatically mean that MVNO businesses can thrive.
Africa Analysis Managing Director Andre Wills said the bigger issue is whether individual countries have the right regulatory systems, wholesale arrangements, customer-switching processes and digital infrastructure to support sustainable MVNO businesses.
In simple terms, an MVNO does not necessarily need to own the mobile network infrastructure used to connect customers. Instead, it can buy network capacity from an established mobile network operator and sell services to customers under its own brand.
This model can create room for more specialised telecom services, including offers targeted at particular groups of consumers and businesses.
21 African Markets Seen as Strong MVNO Opportunities
The report identified 21 African markets as having either “high” or “very high” MVNO attractiveness.
The assessment was based on factors including the size and potential of each market as well as how prepared the country is to support MVNO operations.
Another 14 markets already permit MVNO operations or have issued relevant licences, but do not yet have an operational MVNO market.
Those markets collectively represent approximately 407 million mobile subscriptions, highlighting the size of the customer base that could potentially become available to MVNO businesses.
However, regulatory approval alone may not be enough to unlock that opportunity.
What Countries Need to Unlock the MVNO Market
The report highlighted several areas that African telecommunications regulators and network operators would need to address if MVNO adoption is to expand.
One major requirement is a clear licensing framework. Regulators need to define the different types of MVNOs, establish reasonable obligations and make the licensing process practical enough for companies to enter the market.
Wholesale access is another major issue. MVNOs depend on access to existing mobile networks, meaning the commercial terms for buying network capacity can determine whether an MVNO can actually make money.
The report therefore points to the need for sustainable wholesale pricing, clear service agreements and, where possible, access to more than one host network.
Digital readiness is also becoming increasingly important.
Growing adoption of 4G and 5G, wider availability of eSIM technology, affordable smartphones and easier digital customer registration could make it easier for MVNOs to attract and manage subscribers.
Africa’s MVNO Opportunity Goes Beyond More SIM Cards
For African consumers, increased MVNO activity could eventually mean more competition and more specialised mobile offers.
But the growth of the sector will depend heavily on how individual countries handle regulation and how willing major network operators are to provide commercially workable access to their infrastructure.
The current numbers show that Africa’s MVNO market is still relatively small compared with the continent’s overall mobile industry. At the same time, the projected rise from 7.9 million subscribers in 2025 to nearly 40 million by 2030 suggests that the opportunity could become much bigger in the next few years.
With only nine markets currently operating active MVNO sectors, there is still a large part of Africa‘s telecommunications market left untapped.
