This means most Africans who could be online are not. Coverage exists, usage does not. Across 39 African countries surveyed last year, only 31% of respondents used the internet daily, and just 47% owned a smartphone. 

At the same time, two-thirds of Africans have no access to a household computer, limiting their ability to engage in anything beyond basic messaging or social media

That gap, between availability and usage, is now the most important digital problem on the continent. It is no longer a problem of cables, towers, or signal strength, but rather whether people, businesses, and institutions can turn digital tools into something useful.

Usage is the next digital divide, and it is already determining who grows, who competes, and who’s left behind.

Access is No Longer the Hard Part

Over the past decade, Africa has done what many thought was impossible. Mobile networks expanded at speed, smartphones became cheaper, cloud services, productivity software, and digital platforms are now accessible to even small firms and public institutions.

In many countries, the basic infrastructure problem has been solved faster than expected. Large parts of Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and Rwanda now sit under reliable mobile broadband coverage. Even rural areas are no longer entirely disconnected.

But then, when you look beyond map coverage, you see something entirely different.

Millions of people with network access use their phones mainly for calls, messaging, or entertainment. Many small businesses own digital tools they barely touch. Government platforms exist but see limited traffic. Schools have devices but lack the skills to integrate them into learning.

Access opened the door, but most people never walked through it.

The Digital Usage Gap is Where Value is Lost

Usage is where economic value is created, or not.

A farmer with internet access does not benefit unless they know how to find price information, weather data, or digital marketplaces. A small retailer gains little from a payment app if they cannot track sales, manage inventory, or understand customer data. A ministry can digitise services, but without trained staff and clear processes, the systems sit idle.

This is why the usage gap is just as important as the access gap.

Recent surveys across African countries show that while mobile phone ownership is high, regular, productive internet use is still low, especially beyond urban centres. Computer access is even more limited, which restricts skills development, content creation, and higher-value digital work.

What we are seeing is not a lack of technology, but a lack of execution capability, the ability to apply digital tools to problems, consistently and at scale.

Execution is Becoming the Advantage

Execution sounds far-reaching, but you see it in everyday decisions.

Whether a company trains staff beyond basic onboarding, or leadership understands what tools are for, not just what they cost, or if digital projects move from pilot stage into everyday operations.

Two organisations can buy the same software, one improves productivity, and the other sees no change. The difference is barely the tool, but the people, the processes, and the decisions around it.

Across Africa, a small group of firms and institutions are beginning to pull ahead not because they have better access, but because they use what they have better. They invest in skills, measure results, and adapt quickly when something does not work.

This is execution as a competitive edge, and it is harder to copy than infrastructure.

Why Africa is Especially Exposed

Africa’s risk is not that it lacks technology, but that skills and systems are not keeping pace with access.

Education systems still move slowly compared to how fast digital tools change. Many graduates enter the workforce without practical digital skills, even when they are comfortable with smartphones. 

Businesses usually adopt tools without changing how work is organised. Governments prioritise platforms over people.

There is also a policy lag, with digital progress still measured by access indicators including coverage, subscriptions, and device numbers, because they are easy to track. Usage, capacity, and productivity are harder to measure, and harder to fix.

The result is a divide; the few who know how to execute, and the many who are digitally present but economically stuck.

This is Not a Motivation Problem

It is important to be clear about this. Low usage is not about laziness or resistance to technology.

Cost is a limitation for many, data is still expensive relative to income, local content is limited, language is important, trust is important, but skills are the most important of all.

If people do not see clear value, they will not use digital tools as they should, with depth, even when access exists. Usage follows relevance, not infrastructure.

That is why closing the usage gap requires a different approach, one focused on skills, local solutions, and visible economic results.

What Happens if We Get This Wrong

If Africa fails to close the digital usage and execution gap, the consequences will be uneven growth.

A narrow group of firms, cities, and individuals will thrive. The rest will remain connected in name but excluded. Digital tools will exist, but their benefits will concentrate instead of spreading.

If we get it right, the opposite happens. Productivity improves, small businesses scale, public services work better, and young people gain skills that travel across borders.

The difference between these futures is usage, not access.

So…

Africa’s digital sustainability isn’t dependent on how many people can get online. That phase is ending.

It’s those who can use digital tools well to learn, to build, to compete, and to bring results.

Execution is becoming the key advantage. The only thing left to face is whether we are preparing enough people to take it.

The investment is aimed at improving access to credit for low-income public sector workers who are usually excluded from formal banking systems.

The three southern African countries continue to face serious economic challenges, including limited job opportunities, inadequate healthcare and education systems, and growing pressure from climate-related shocks. With international aid becoming less predictable, many households have struggled to sustain livelihoods or fund small-scale ventures.

Swedfund’s new funding seeks to close this gap by enabling more civil servants to access personal and business loans that support daily living and small enterprise growth. According to the organisation, these loans are not just about access to money but about fostering resilience and stimulating community-level economic development.

“With this loan we increase the possibilities for low-income individuals to secure financing that supports their livelihoods and productive activities, such as starting a small side business, expanding farming, covering education costs or building a house. This contributes to human development for many families and, in turn, fosters potential for local economic growth and more jobs,” said Jane Niedra, investment director of Financial Inclusion at Swedfund.

Select Africa’s customer base largely consists of civil servants, including teachers, nurses, and local administrators, who often find it difficult to obtain loans from traditional banks due to perceived high risk or lack of collateral. The company provides payroll-based lending, allowing borrowers to repay directly from their salaries, reducing default risk and enabling them to build a formal credit history over time.

Founded in 1999 with its first branch in Eswatini, Select Africa has since expanded its footprint across Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, and Kenya. The Group now operates 19 branches and manages a gross loan book of about $108 million.

Through this partnership, Swedfund and Select Africa aim to unlock opportunities for thousands of underserved public workers, strengthening household incomes, encouraging entrepreneurship, and supporting the broader financial inclusion agenda in sub-Saharan Africa.

Chinese President Xi Jinping disclosed the development in a formal letter to African foreign ministers. According to him, all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing will now enjoy “zero-tariff treatment for 100% of tariff lines.” 

This is a massive expansion of an earlier policy that only applied to the continent’s least developed nations.

For African exporters, especially those in agriculture, mining, and light manufacturing, this is an open door to the world’s second-largest economy.

China is now revealing that it’s ready to be a long-term, low-barrier trading partner for Africa, at a time when others are retreating or imposing tougher terms.

Trade data from China’s Foreign Ministry already shows that Chinese exports to Africa jumped by 12.4% in the first five months of the year, climbing to 963 billion yuan (roughly $134 billion).

With the new tariff offer, this volume could rise even further, and more importantly, African exports to China might finally gain ground.

The United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides eligible African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market, is set to expire in 2025. Over 30 African nations risk losing that benefit. 

Add to that the unpredictability of U.S. policy, especially under past administrations, and China’s offer begins to look less like generosity and more like a geopolitical counterpunch.

Beijing says, “We can offer what others won’t. And we’ll do it with less friction.”

However, the policy has its boundaries. Eswatini is excluded, its continued recognition of Taiwan disqualifies it from this round of economic generosity. This detail reinforces China’s hardline stance on Taiwan and notes that while the offer is wide-reaching, it’s not unconditional.

On the sidelines of a recent ministerial meeting in Changsha, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, called on Beijing to include Nigeria in this tariff-free scheme. 

He emphasised that the plan fits well into the China-Africa partnership to “jointly advance modernisation,” and also pressed for African inclusion in emerging sectors like artificial intelligence and satellite technologies.

Tuggar said, “We urge that Nigeria be included in the zero-tariff treatment. Our agricultural produce and mineral exports have great potential that can thrive in the Chinese market.”

African nations are no longer passive recipients of global trade policies, they are repositioning themselves. But there are risks. China’s track record in Africa, especially in infrastructure lending, has raised concerns over debt traps and sovereignty erosion. 

Now, with this trade opening, leaders on the continent must weigh the benefits against the long-term implications of economic overdependence on a single partner.

That said, China’s timing is impeccable. With global trade undergoing massive changes, and the West’s engagement with Africa marred by inconsistency, Beijing’s latest move could very well deepen its footprint across the continent, this time not with roads and railways, but with customs forms stamped zero percent.

The report was shared by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on its website.

Titled “The Malaria Dividend,” the report utilized data and analytics from Oxford Economics Africa, noting that the potential economic benefits of reducing malaria cases are substantial.

It stated that Nigeria’s economy could gain $35 billion and international trade $80.7 billion by 2030.

“This economic uplift would add $35 billion to Nigeria’s economy – already one of the largest on the continent – and could increase international trade by $80.7 billion by 2030,” the report noted.

According to the report, the world is unlikely to meet the WHO’s 2030 target of reducing malaria cases and deaths by 90 percent. It stated that malaria kills 600,000 people annually, with 95% of deaths occurring in Africa, mainly among children under five.

The disease also affects working-age adults, leading to lost income and increased healthcare costs, resulting in a significant economic burden.

The report highlights that the fight against malaria has been hindered by factors such as climate change, conflicts, drug and insecticide resistance, and the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a “perfect storm” that has slowed progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths.

“While great progress was made in the first two decades of the century– the global mortality rate for malaria halved between 2000 and 2015, and case incidence fell by 26% – the fight is far from over,” the report noted.

It further suggested that achieving the 90% reduction in malaria by 2030 is still possible with collective efforts and the introduction of new tools, such as advanced vaccines and other groundbreaking innovations that could turn the tide in the fight against malaria.

Lowering the economic burden of malaria would enable countries to enhance their overall healthcare systems, including upgrading diagnostic capabilities and the healthcare workforce, leading to improved health and economic security.

The report emphasized that continuous support from organizations like Gavi and the Global Fund is essential to combat malaria and other diseases, facilitating a stronger link between health and economic stability globally. “In the near term of the next 18 months, the necessity of adequately funding both the Global Fund and Gavi at their upcoming replenishments cannot be overstated,” it noted.

It highlighted that the connection between health and economic security is far-reaching, with investments in healthcare yielding significant economic benefits.

Citing a report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute, it noted that addressing the women’s health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040, preventing 24 million years lost due to disability and providing a $400 billion economic uplift.

Malaria transmission within the country is high and even higher in rural communities situated by the banks of major rivers and water bodies. The disease is caused by tiny parasites called plasmodium, often found in mosquitoes.

The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) reports that malaria accounts for 60% of outpatient visits to health facilities across the country and 30% of childhood deaths.

Globally, there are an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths among 85 countries.

The African region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden.