Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Dynamics, Recent Developments, and Strategic Insights by 2031

The Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market size was valued at US$ 2.93 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 5.49 billion by 2031; it is estimated to record a CAGR of 8.3% from 2025 to 2031. The growing importance of over-the-top services is likely to bring new market trends.

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Analysis

Growing number of mobile subscribers in Africa, increasing adoption of VoIP services, and rising demand for digital content drive the Africa mobile value-added services and wholesale voice carrier market growth. Moreover, expanding 5G/6G networks and rising usage of mobile money and fintech solutions are expected to create various opportunities for regional market growth.

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Overview

Mobile value-added services play a pivotal role in the telecommunications industry, expanding beyond conventional voice calls, SMS, and data offerings. Mobile value-added services enrich the user experience, increase top-line revenue, and enhance profit margins. Mobile value-added services are mobile content offers that can be one-time and subscription-based payment content in affiliate marketing. Employing mobile value-added services offers can prove a cost-effective strategy for businesses to promote themselves on various channels, including SMS, email, social media, and mobile applications. Mobile value-added services can enhance the customer experience by offering additional features and services.

Wholesale voice carrier is a solution that provides bulk voice call services, allowing companies to communicate internationally and domestically at reduced costs. Wholesale voice carrier involves call routing and VoIP technology, highlighting significant benefits and scalable solutions. One of the primary benefits of wholesale voice carriers is the significant cost savings they offer compared to traditional telecommunications methods, driven by competitive pricing and efficient operational management. By leveraging the advantages of wholesale voice services, businesses can access lower call rates that dramatically reduce communication expenses. This is primarily because wholesale providers operate on a larger scale, allowing them to negotiate better deals with underlying carriers.

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Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market: Strategic Insights

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market

• Market Size 2023
  US$ 2.93 Billion
• Market Size 2031
  US$ 5.49 Billion

Market Dynamics

GROWTH DRIVERS

• Growing number of mobile subscribers in Africa
• The growing adoption of VoIP services
• Increasing demand for digital Content

FUTURE TRENDS

• Growing Importance of Over-the-Top Services

OPPORTUNITIES

• Increasing focus 5G and 6G Networks and Rising Usage of Mobile Money and Fintech Solutions

Regional Overview

• Africa

Market Segmentation

Service Type

• Mobile Value Added Services Type
• Wholesale Voice Carrier Services

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Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Drivers and Opportunities

Growing Number of Mobile Subscribers in Africa

The mobile industry is continuously bringing connectivity to people in Africa and investing in network capacity and coverage expansion to help people interact with the communities and environment around them. According to the report of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), in Africa, 40% of the adult population was connected to mobile internet services in 2021. Further, 515 million people subscribed to mobile services in Africa by the end of 2021, which represented 46% of the population and an increase of nearly 20 million from 2020. Approximately 100 million new subscribers are expected by 2025, taking the total number of subscribers to 613 million, which is 50% of the region's population. The two most populated countries, including Ethiopia and Nigeria, are expected to account for about a third of new subscribers by 2025. The increasing number of mobile subscribers is creating a large demand for mobile value-added services. These services, including short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS), mobile email and IM, location-based services, mobile money, and mobile advertising, are becoming essential as more people gain access to mobile technology.

The expansion of mobile networks facilitates better connectivity, which is crucial for wholesale voice services that rely on robust infrastructure to handle increased call volumes. Also, with a rising number of mobile subscribers, especially in emerging markets, there is a greater volume of international and inter-operator voice traffic. Wholesale carriers benefit from this increased demand for efficient and cost-effective routing of voice calls across borders and networks. Further, in the African region with rapidly growing mobile penetration, wholesale carriers are essential to maintain network interconnectivity and allow users to make affordable international calls, driving growth in wholesale voice traffic. Therefore, the growing number of mobile subscribers is boosting the demand for mobile value-added services and wholesale voice carrier services.

Growing Adoption of VoIP Services

Telemarketing, customer service, and call center operations in South Africa are growing due to the established and ever-expanding network of fiber optic cables used for voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) calls. Every year, more African enterprises are shifting from traditional copper landlines to VoIP telephony due to the vast improvements in call quality and reliability. According to the report of SEACOM, cloud voice services are growing by 12% in South Africa every year as a result of higher cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives. VoIP plays a significant role in omnichannel and unified communications for enterprises, which have become preferred communications models for many successful companies. Also, the number of people who are able to access the web in South Africa is rapidly growing, allowing African businesses and individuals to install the VoIP solution. According to the report of The New Wave, ~30% of the South African population was able to connect online in 2023. VoIP improves existing IP networks, reducing the need for expensive infrastructure investments. This cost advantage boosts adoption and leads to a greater volume of voice traffic for wholesale carriers. Moreover, the increase in international call center contracts, particularly from the UK and the US, has contributed to this growth, as South Africa offers cost-effective solutions. VoIP services enable much cheaper international calling than traditional telephone networks, which is crucial in Africa, due to high cost sensitivity. This attracts more consumers and businesses to adopt VoIP, increasing traffic for wholesale voice carriers that route these calls. Thus, the rising adoption of VoIP services across Africa fuels the demand for wholesale voice carriers in the country, contributing to the market growth.

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Report Segmentation Analysis

The key segment that contributed to the derivation of the Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market analysis is service type.

• Based on service type, the Africa mobile value-added services and wholesale voice carrier market is bifurcated into mobile value-added services and wholesale voice carrier services. The mobile value-added services segment dominated the market in 2023.
• In terms of mobile value-added services, the market is sub-segmented into mobile money, mobile advertising, short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS), mobile email and IM, location-based services, and others. The mobile money segment dominated the market in 2023.
• In terms of wholesale voice carrier services, the Africa mobile value-added services and wholesale voice carrier market is divided into voice termination, interconnect billing, and fraud management. The voice termination segment dominated the market in 2023.

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Share Analysis by Geography

The Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market is segmented into Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Uganda, Madagascar, Niger, Malawi, Zambia, Chad, Rwanda, Congo B, Gabon, Seychelles, and the Rest of Africa. Mobile connectivity in Africa continues to drive digital transformation and socioeconomic advancements. According to the GSMA report, in Africa, there were 489 million unique mobile subscribers in 2023, indicating a 43% penetration rate. Across Africa, mobile phones are the primary means of communication and accessing the internet. As more affordable smartphones enter the market and network infrastructure improves, 4G and 5G expansion is growing. According to the same report, in 2023, the adoption of 4G accelerated, partially driven by the growing demand for faster internet speeds among younger consumers. Over the next five years, the adoption will more than double to 45% in the region. 5G momentum is also increasing; however, the initial focus for 5G deployment is on industrial locations and urban areas, where there is a greater need for the technology. In 2030, 5G is expected to contribute US$ 11 billion to the economy of sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for more than 6% of the overall economic impact of mobile. The demand for enhanced services through mobile value-added services and wholesale voice carriers has grown. Consumers seek out services that go beyond essential voice and text, such as entertainment (music, video streaming), education, mobile health (mHealth), and financial services (mobile money). For example, in countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, mobile money platforms, such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money, have revolutionized the way people transfer funds and make payments, embedding mobile financial services within the daily lives of millions. These factors are increasing the demand for mobile value-added services, where services are mixed with traditional telecom offerings, contributing to the higher demand for data and value-added features.

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Report Scope

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market News and Recent Developments

The Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market is evaluated by gathering qualitative and quantitative data post primary and secondary research, which includes important corporate publications, association data, and databases. A few of the developments in the Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market are listed below:

• International Finance Corporation (IFC) provided new financing to three of Airtel Africa plc's subsidiaries with the aim of bringing high-speed mobile connectivity to more than 37 million subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa. IFC's US$ 200 million loan supports the expansion and modernization of Airtel Africa's network, as well as further investment into its distribution infrastructure, with a continued focus on rural areas.

[Source: International Finance Corporation (IFC), Press Release, 2024]

• Pan-African operator Orange's Burkinabé unit chose Vox Solutions as the international application-to-person (A2P) short message service (SMS) and voice gateway for traffic into its network. This partnership guarantees a secure and dependable transmission of A2P messages to Orange Burkina Faso's clients and international enterprises.

(Source: Orange, Press Release, 2024)

Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Report Coverage and Deliverables

The "Africa Mobile Value Added Services and Wholesale Voice Carrier Market Size and Forecast (2021–2031)" provides a detailed analysis of the market covering the areas mentioned below:

• Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market size and forecast at country levels for all the key market segments covered under the scope
• Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market trends, as well as market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and key opportunities
• Detailed PEST and SWOT analysis
• Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market analysis covering key market trends, regional framework, major players, regulations, and recent market developments
• Industry landscape and competition analysis covering market concentration, heat map analysis, prominent players, and recent developments for the Africa mobile value added services and wholesale voice carrier market
• Detailed company profiles