Data analysing internet speed across the world has revealed internet users in some parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia experienced the slowest internet speed.
The report, published by Cable.co.uk, analysed operations of around 1.5 billion broadband speed tests across 220 nations. The report observed that while countries in Western Europe dominated the global speed table averaging between 170-279 Megabits per second (Mbps), North African countries had the slowest internet speed averaging at 12.52Mbps.
However, Some African countries showcased some improvement in their internet connection speed, revealing significant progress in the continent’s efforts to boost investments in the telecommunications sector.
10 African countries with the fastest internet speed
The top 10 African countries with the fastest internet speed are presented below with their corresponding global ranking:
| Rank (Africa) | Rank (Global) | Country | Country Code | Average Download Speed (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 | Réunion | RE | 63.29 |
| 2 | 114 | South Africa | ZA | 42 |
| 3 | 120 | Eswatini | SZ | 37 |
| 4 | 126 | Rwanda | RW | 33 |
| 5 | 127 | Mauritius | MU | 31 |
| 6 | 130 | Botswana | BW | 30 |
| 7 | 132 | Nigeria | NG | 28 |
| 8 | 142 | Madagascar | MG | 23 |
| 9 | 147 | Lesotho | LS | 21 |
| 10 | 149 | Seychelles | SC | 20 |
The top five countries in the world with the fastest internet speed were listed as Iceland (279.55Mbps), Jersey (273.51Mbps), Macau (234.74Mbps), Liechtenstein (222.98Mbps), and Denmark (210.51Mbps).
The report noted that in North Africa where the slowest internet speed was recorded, Morocco (19.61Mbps, 150th), Egypt (12.64Mbps, 181st), and Algeria (12.35Mbps, 183rd) offered the fastest internet speed in the region.
The report conducted its survey on 50 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the second-slowest region with an average download speed of 14.99Mbps overall.
However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria’s 7th place ranking (132nd globally) with its 28 Mbps internet speed has placed it below countries like Réunion (63.29Mbps, 75th), South Africa (45.42Mbps, 114th), and Eswatini (37.23Mbps, 120th), Rwanda (33Mbps, 126th) and two others.
On the lowest level of the global internet speed list, we have Sudan, currently struggling with political instability and economic challenges, achieving an average mobile Internet speed of 4.02Mbps (223rd), Central African Republic (4.08Mbps, 222nd), and Ethiopia (4.45Mbps, 221st).
While some African countries are forging ahead in technological advancement and exceeding the lowest average internet speed mark, some other countries are still struggling with significant challenges which have hampered the adoption rate of broadband technology.
The challenges range from government policies and investment levels to technological advancements and digital literacy.