The GSMA says the DR Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda will pilot affordable 4G smartphones in 2026. The Handset Affordability Coalition brings together mobile operators, phone makers, financiers and partners like the World Bank and ITU.
The pilots build on device standards set at MWC Kigali 2025 and aim to put affordable phones into people’s hands.
Rwanda has prior experience with smartphone affordability initiatives, dating back to 2019, offering both donated devices and budget options around $20.
The new pilot will expand access while highlighting the role governments can play in reducing taxes and import duties to meet the target $30-$40 price point, especially amid rising global memory costs.
Vivek Badrinath, GSMA Director General, said, "Affordable smartphones are the gateway to digital and financial inclusion, economic opportunity, and innovation. More than three billion people have mobile coverage but are not connected to the mobile internet. Governments can help bridge that gap by removing taxes and import duties on entry-level 4G devices.”
Handset costs continue to be the biggest barrier to mobile internet access in Africa. Millions of people live in areas with broadband coverage but remain offline because they cannot afford smartphones.
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Bringing affordable 4G devices to the market could connect tens of millions, opening doors to education, healthcare, financial services, online shopping, and even artificial intelligence tools.
The rising cost of memory chips also affects the development of on-device AI, local-language processing, and regional technology ecosystems. The GSMA is leading an initiative called the AI Language Models Initiative, built in Africa for Africa, to develop scalable, locally relevant AI models.
At this year’s Africa Pavilion at MWC26 in Barcelona, the initiative is showcasing the first open Swahili reasoning model, developed with MeetKai Zambia, which can browse and translate online content.
It will also highlight efforts to expand access to computing power through partnerships with AMD and Cassava, provide tools to ensure AI models reflect African languages and cultures, and feature a continental map of talent showing the researchers and engineers driving innovation in local languages.
Badrinath, said AI has the potential to amplify African voices and innovation, but without affordable devices and sustainable component pricing, those benefits could remain out of reach.
With pilot countries now identified, and industry partners aligned, attention shifts to governments. Public policy will play a decisive role in determining whether affordable smartphones reach scale. The conversation continues at MWC Kigali from June 16 to 18, where industry leaders and policymakers are expected to assess progress and push forward plans to close the usage gap and support locally relevant AI.