ICT

With 4G connections now well established throughout much of the world, international telecoms players are now working towards the launch of 5G, the next generation of mobile data networks. Notable progress towards this was made in March 2017, when the Third Generation Partnership Project – a group of seven telecoms development organisations...

Although it does not have the market size and reputation of some of its regional peers, Ghana offers a stable environment for innovation and the development of IT products and applications in Africa, thanks in part to a welcoming regulatory framework and rapid uptake of data services.

While Ghana fares relatively well in terms of basic telecoms indicators, private operators and public bodies are working to improve and expand coverage. However, the challenges involved in rolling out infrastructure for mobile networks are considerable, and range from difficulties in obtaining planning rights to high maintenance costs.

Change is on the horizon for the Ghanaian telecoms industry. Consolidation in a fragmented market could improve the competitive environment and help strengthen operator margins. It could also provide a boost to a sector which, like many in sub-Saharan Africa, is looking beyond the saturated voice market to raising data penetration and usage...

The push for financial inclusion is continuing apace in Ghana with plans for the implementation of mobile money interoperability. Financial inclusion has been growing healthily in the country, thanks largely to the success of its mobile money system. In 2011 just 29% of the population was banked. By 2014 the figure had reached 41%, according...

While Ghana’s IT sector is growing rapidly, and the government is emphasising its importance to the future health of the economy, it currently suffers from a shortage of qualified labour. As such, the government and the private sector are turning their attention to human resources development.