Africa and China digital economies projected to surge by 2025‑2030

A GSMA report projects that Africa’s mobile sector will generate $2.4 trillion in economic value in 2025—about 7.8% of regional GDP—supporting roughly 13 million jobs and $450 billion in tax revenue, with 5G connections expected to reach 383 million by 2030 and operators planning $762 billion in infrastructure investment through 2030. The same report highlights a shift from network building to AI‑driven services, including local large‑language‑model development and API commercialization.

China’s 2025 National Information Development Report shows the country’s digital industry revenue reaching 39.6 trillion yuan (about $5.5 trillion), a growth of 8.8% year‑on‑year, with digital core industries accounting for over 10.5% of GDP. The report notes 483,800 5G base stations, two‑thirds of prefecture‑level cities meeting gigabit standards, 869 million IPv6 users, and a software sector revenue of 15.48 trillion yuan, up 13.2%. AI‑enabled devices and service robots also saw double‑digit growth.