Despite significant growth in mobile and internet coverage across Sub-Saharan Africa, women remain systematically excluded from the full benefits of digital transformation. Research ICT Africa’s latest After Access report, The state of gender digital inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: A demand-side analysis, shows that digital inequality is no longer only about access but also about who is able to use digital technologies meaningfully and how.
Drawing on nationally representative data from seven African countries, the report finds that women consistently lag behind men in mobile phone ownership, smartphone access and internet use. These gaps are most pronounced among poor, rural women, who face compounded barriers related to affordability, limited digital skills, lack of awareness and socio-cultural constraints.
While overall internet use has increased over the past decade, women remain between 8 and 17 percentage points less likely to be online than men across most countries surveyed. Smartphone ownership — critical for meaningful participation in the digital economy — remains especially low among women outside South Africa.
The findings also challenge simplistic assumptions about women’s digital engagement. Where women do have access, they are increasingly using the internet for education, learning, job-seeking and income-generating activities, sometimes at higher rates than men. However, skills gaps and safety concerns continue to limit the extent to which connectivity translates into economic empowerment.
The report highlights mobile money as a rare bright spot, with gender gaps in financial inclusion narrowing significantly in countries with strong mobile money ecosystems. It concludes that closing gender digital divides will require coordinated, gender-responsive digital inclusion policies that prioritise skills, affordability and meaningful use.
