Total AME (Africa and Middle East) handset subscriptions of 733m in 2018, is set to reach 1.4bn by 2023, with smartphones accounting for 81% of handsets in 2023 from 54.4% in 2018, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. During the same period, feature phone subscriptions will decline at a CAGR of -11.7%.

Jonathan Bachrach, Senior Technology Analyst at GlobalData comments, “The massive growth in smartphone adoption will be largely driven by increasing penetration through lower priced handsets, more affordable device plans, 3G / 4G coverage expansion, growing OTT video adoption and larger data bundles.”

IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION: Please click here for enlarged chart