5G Summit

Momentum for 5G continues to grow across Africa, with nearly 50 commercial networks operating in more than 25 countries as of June 2025. The African 5G market is advancing thanks to improved access to suitable spectrum in an increasing number of countries and rising investment in 5G infrastructure. By the end of this decade, 5G networks are projected to cover almost half of the continent’s population - amounting to nearly 700 million people. However, 5G adoption is not keeping pace with the rate of deployment. By 2030, 5G will represent just 20% of total mobile connections in Africa, compared to a global average of 57%.

The 5G Summit at MWC Kigali 2025 offers a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas on maximising the potential of 5G in Africa - facilitating the efficient deployment and expansion of networks and improving the business case for 5G investment by encouraging greater use of 5G connectivity by both consumers and enterprises. This year’s summit brings together leaders from government, the mobile industry, and related sectors to identify shared priorities regarding the policy, economic, and technological drivers of 5G adoption across the continent.

The summit will run over three 1-hour sessions, with each session featuring insightful keynotes and panel discussions. The agenda below outlines the format, topics and prospective speakers.

Session 1: 14:00 – 15:00

Topic: The journey so far – lessons from 5G markets in Africa and beyond

This session will assess progress made so far in terms of 5G deployment and adoption in key 5G markets across Africa, and draw lessons from key markets outside the region.

Session 2: 15:00 – 16:00

Topic: Harnessing innovation and partnerships for 5G use case development

This session will explore local innovation and partnerships between operators and other ecosystem players to develop relevant 5G use cases in Africa.

Session 3: 16:00 – 17:00

Topic: Deploying efficient 5G networks in Africa.

This session will explore innovative network solutions for operators to rollout public and private 5G networks efficiently, especially in the context of rising energy costs and the complexity infrastructure deployment in semi-urban and rural areas.