Starlink is becoming more affordable in Africa, with monthly plans in Zimbabwe, Ghana and Kenya costing less than half of traditional internet providers

  • Starlink is cheaper than traditional ISPs in five out of the twelve African countries analysed.
  • Zimbabwe has the widest price gap, with traditional ISPs costing over 21 times more than Starlink.
  • Nigeria currently offers the cheapest traditional ISP plan at $9.59, undercutting Starlink’s price by a wide margin.
  • In Ghana and Kenya, Starlink’s monthly subscription is less than half the cost of the leading ISPs.
  • Only slight differences exist between Starlink and traditional ISP prices in Zambia and Botswana, indicating near-parity.
  • Mozambique and Cape Verde have moderate Starlink price advantages, suggesting potential for market competition.

Starlink's entry into the African internet market is already creating waves, especially in countries where traditional internet service providers (ISPs) charge significantly higher rates. According to Rest of the World, in Zimbabwe, the leading ISP charges over $600 monthly, while Starlink offers a plan at just $30—a staggering price gap that challenges the current status quo. Ghana shows a similar trend, with Starlink costing less than half the price of the most affordable traditional ISP. This signals a growing shift toward more competitive and accessible broadband, especially in regions where consumers have long paid a premium for basic connectivity.

Interestingly, in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Madagascar, traditional ISPs are still cheaper than Starlink, with monthly prices as low as $9.59 in Nigeria compared to Starlink’s $48.47. This highlights that Starlink's impact isn’t uniform across the continent—it depends on the local market, infrastructure, and government policies.

Source:

Rest of The World

Period:

January 2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

Volume of internet data consumed in Nigeria in May 2026
  • 1.5 million TB was consumed in May 2026, the highest monthly level on record.
  • 7 million TB was consumed in Jan–May 2026, up 42.1% from the same period in 2025.
  • Jan–May 2026 usage was 88.4% higher than in 2024 and 156.3% higher than in 2023.
  • May’s monthly usage was nearly 2.6× the level recorded three years earlier.
  • The surge points to rapidly growing demand for internet-based services, content and digital activity in Nigeria.

In 2023, about 1 in 6 Nigerians were still on 3G; by 2026, that's down to about 1 in 20
  • 3G's share of Nigeria's mobile market fell from 16.5% to 5.1% between May 2023 and May 2026.
  • 4G became the dominant network, with its market share rising from 25.1% to 54.3% over the same period.
  • 2G's share declined from 58.4% to 36.1% but still accounted for more than one-third of all mobile connections.
  • 5G expanded nearly 37-fold, growing from less than 0.1% to 4.5% of mobile subscriptions.

Nearly 2 in 3 active mobile lines in Ekiti are on MTN
  • MTN held more than half of active mobile lines in most Nigerian states as of December 2025.
  • Ekiti recorded MTN’s highest share at 69.6%, followed by Imo at 64.1% and Anambra at 63.4%.
  • Borno was Airtel’s only leading state, with 56.9% of active mobile lines.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Kogi, Edo, Ondo, FCT, and Oyo.

MTN accounts for over half of internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states
  • MTN held over 50% of active internet subscriptions in most Nigerian states as of December 2025.
  • Ekiti had MTN’s highest share at 70.6%, followed by Imo at 64% and Anambra at 63.7%.
  • Borno was the only state where Airtel led, with 56.6% of active internet subscriptions.
  • Globacom did not lead any state, but it had notable shares in Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Bayelsa.
 

iPhone usage in Africa is just 15%, far below North America’s 60% usage
  • North America leads globally with 60.2% iPhone usage, making it the largest iPhone market.
  • Oceania follows at 58.9%, showing similar consumer preferences to North America.
  • Africa has the lowest iPhone share (14.7%), highlighting a significant adoption gap.
  • Nigeria aligns with the continental trend at 14.1%, reinforcing that the gap is structural, not country-specific.

Card channels were the most susceptible to fraud in Nigerian banks in Q1 2025, with $14.3 billion involved
  • Cards were the most involved in fraud, with ₦14.3 billion representing the most significant exposure among all transaction channels
  • Card transactions also had the highest number of cases (11,972), indicating widespread and frequent attacks
  • Actual losses on cards were 11.5% (₦1.6 billion) of the amount involved, showing that significant financial damage still occurs despite preventive systems
  • Cash fraud accounted for ₦6.8 bn in exposure, nearly half of the card channel’s total
  • Cash also recorded 12.3% (₦800 million) in actual losses
  • Cheques had the lowest fraud involvement (₦1.2 billion) and only 46 cases, but the highest actual loss rate (72.7%)

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved