The gap is clear, and it deserves a closer look, both for what it reveals and for what it does not say.The ranking, published in February 2026 by Ookla, the American company specializing in network measurement, relies on millions of tests run by real users. It covers mobile Internet for the year 2025. Internet speed in Africa appears in a contrasting light: a few markets that are accelerating, others that are plateauing, and a continent where only eight countries met the conditions required to appear in the index.
What this ranking actually measures
First, the framework. Ookla’s index is based on median download speed, expressed in megabits per second (Mbps), along with latency, meaning the network’s response time, and connection stability. The data comes from tests that users launch themselves from their phones.
This method has one strength and two limits. Its strength is that it reflects lived experience rather than the theoretical speeds advertised by operators. Its limits are that it mostly captures the areas where people run tests, so cities and already connected users, and that it does not always distinguish rural coverage. A national average can therefore mask sharp disparities between a metropolis and a mountain village. I keep that caveat in mind for what follows.
The African ranking at a glance
Here are the seven countries cited, with the average speeds recorded:
- 🇲🇦 Morocco: 124.3 Mbps
- 🇿🇦 South Africa: 65.9 Mbps
- 🇹🇳 Tunisia: 53.5 Mbps
- 🇩🇿 Algeria: 53.1 Mbps
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria: 46.8 Mbps
- 🇰🇪 Kenya: 45.3 Mbps
- 🇪🇬 Egypt: 44.1 Mbps
One detail is worth flagging: depending on the publication, the values for South Africa and Tunisia vary slightly, and Nigeria and Kenya are separated by a tenth of a megabit or so. I therefore read these figures as orders of magnitude rather than positions set in stone. Libya, at around 22 Mbps, closes the field of eight ranked countries.
Morocco, a lead with clear explanations
Morocco ranks 39th worldwide, up about twenty places in a year. This climb is largely explained by one dated event: the commercial launch of 5G in November 2025. Operators rolled out their sites quickly in the main cities, and the Moroccan press reported some sixty cities covered by autumn, with several million compatible devices.
I take two things from this. First, 5G mechanically pulls the average upward: a subscriber moving from a saturated 4G network to a fresh 5G one can see their speed multiplied. Second, this effect is partly cyclical. Morocco is reaping the benefits of a still-young launch, in a market where 5G has not yet reached the mass of users. As usage spreads, the load on the network will grow and the average could level off. This is not a criticism, it is a pattern seen in other markets after their first months of 5G.
There is also a contrast I find instructive: Morocco’s fixed broadband speed, around 56 Mbps according to Ookla’s readings, remains far below its mobile speed. The country is a mobile champion, but not yet a fixed broadband one, a reminder that fiber optics remains an open project.
South Africa, Tunisia and Algeria, very different profiles
South Africa, second with roughly 65 to 66 Mbps, follows a different logic. Its strength lies in a high-performing fixed network, with just over 48 Mbps in download according to Ookla and low latency, which suits professional uses well. The country launched 5G as early as 2020, but coverage remains concentrated in large urban areas, and the instability of the power grid weighs on service quality.
Tunisia and Algeria sit within a hair of each other, around 53 Mbps. Their middle position reflects markets where network modernization is moving forward, but more slowly than demand. For Tunisia, local commentators point to the gap between a respectable mobile performance and a still modest fixed one. Algeria reaches a comparable level with a very different operator ecosystem.
Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, the weight of scale
Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt form the third group, between 44 and 47 Mbps. These are large markets, where the challenge is not only peak speed but coverage and access. Nigeria has more than 200 million inhabitants, Egypt more than 100 million. Extending a network to populations of that size, across sometimes difficult territory, is costly and takes time.
Kenya is a case apart: it is an African pioneer in mobile payments, and its digital vitality exceeds what its ranking suggests. What matters here is less raw speed than the way a network, even a modest one, powers services with high everyday value.
Why this speed matters for the economy and geopolitics
I am wary of treating rankings like sports leaderboards. But this one touches on concrete stakes.
The economy first. A fast and stable network underpins the growth of digital services, e-commerce, telemedicine and business outsourcing. Countries that offer good connectivity more easily attract call centers, startups and investors. Morocco, which seeks to position itself as a digital platform between Europe and Africa, has a direct interest in leveraging this result.
Sovereignty next. Experts quoted in the Moroccan press mention a “glass ceiling” that would keep the country out of the world’s top twenty or thirty. They point to a gap between planning and implementation, as well as a dependence on foreign technologies and equipment. I cannot settle that debate here, but I find it a serious one: speed is one thing, control over infrastructure is another.
The global scale finally. At the top of the world ranking, the United Arab Emirates posts more than 680 Mbps, Qatar nearly 600 and Kuwait nearly 400. Africa’s best performer therefore remains very far from the Gulf leaders. Being first in Africa is not the same as being at the forefront worldwide.
Outlook, a continent that is accelerating unevenly
The ranking sketches an Africa of several speeds, in the literal sense. For the next editions, I will be watching three things: the extension of 5G beyond major cities, the growth of fiber, and operators’ ability to maintain quality as traffic increases. Morocco has taken the lead, but nothing indicates it is definitive. The question is whether the other markets, each with their own 5G timetable, will close part of the gap, or whether the divide across the continent will last.
FAQ
Which African country has the fastest Internet in 2026?
According to the Speedtest Global Index ranking published in 2026, Morocco leads the continent with around 124 Mbps on mobile, ranking 39th worldwide.
Does this ranking cover mobile or fixed Internet?
It covers mobile Internet. Fixed network speeds, measured separately, are significantly lower in Morocco and produce a different ranking.
Why did Morocco progress so quickly?
The commercial launch of 5G in November 2025 and the modernization of mobile networks explain most of the rise, although the effect could fade once usage becomes widespread.
Are the other African countries absent from the ranking?
Only eight African countries met Ookla’s measurement criteria. The others are not necessarily performing worse, but the available data is insufficient.
