New GSMA Report Launches a Digital Africa Summit Ghana, Revealing Digital Transformation Could Add $20 Billion to the Country’s Economy by 2030

3 September 2025, Accra: At the GSMA's Digital Africa Summit in Ghana 2025, the GSMA unveiled a new report showing how strategic digital reforms could transform Ghana's economy - adding $20 billion to GDP by 2030.

The report, Driving Digital Transformation of the Economy in Ghana, offers an in-depth analysis of how mobile connectivity underpins progress across key sectors. While Ghana's mobile industry already contributes 8% of GDP (GHC 94 billion), the findings highlight significant untapped potential: despite 99% 4G network coverage, a 62% usage gap persists - referring to people who could access mobile internet but are not yet using it - leaving millions still unconnected.

Sector-by-sector transformation

The study outlines how digital adoption could reshape Ghana's economy across key sectors. In agriculture, digital tools such as precision farming and market access platforms could add GHC 8 billion in value, creating 150,000 new jobs, and boost smallholder
crop yields by 10-20%. In manufacturing, the adoption of technologies like IoT and AI could generate an additional GHC 11.4 billion, particularly in gold and cocoa processing where Ghana has strong competitive advantages.

Government services also stand to benefit significantly. The report estimates that full implementing Ghana's digital governance initiatives could raise GHC 4.4 billion in tax revenues by reducing leakage and improving collection efficiency - building on the success of mobile money-enabled systems such as the LEAP social welfare programme.

Barriers and solutions

GSMA's research highlights several critical challenges holding back Ghana's digital progress. Device affordability remains a major obstacle, with smartphones costing up to 99% of monthly income for the poorest 20% of citizens. The report praises recent reforms, such as the removal of the e-levy, as important steps forward, while calling for expanded public-private partnerships to scale device financing initiatives like MTN's "Pay Later" and Telecel's microfinance schemes.

The analysis also stresses the importance of infrastructure investment, recommending a clear 5G spectrum roadmap and streamlined rights-of-way processes to cut deployment costs. Such measures would be particularly valuable in rural areas, where connectivity gaps persist despite Ghana's strong national coverage metrics.

"Ghana's RESET agenda provides the perfect framework for digital-led growth," said Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at GSMA. "Our report shows that by addressing specific policy barriers - from spectrum allocation to device affordability - we can connect millions more Ghanaians while positioning the country as West Africa's premier digital hub. The mobile industry stands ready to partner with government in making this transformation a reality."

The full report was launched during GSMA's Digital Africa Summit in Ghana - a high-level event held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra. The report provides detailed policy recommendations and economic modelling, showing how strategic reforms could expand mobile internet adoption to 7 million unique users by 2030, up from 4.1 million today.

The complete Digital Transformation as a Catalyst for Ghana's Economic Growth report is available for download here.

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About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today's biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. We invite you to find out more at gsma.com

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