Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal: A new digital generation is reshaping the internet 🌐

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With more than 500 million mobile internet users across Africa in 2024, the continent’s digital ecosystem is evolving fast — and unevenly. Countries like Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal are prime examples of this shift, driven by hyper-connected youth and increasingly diverse online habits across age groups.

Digital access is growing, but still lags globally 📶

While mobile internet is gaining ground, Africa’s overall broadband usage remains below the global average. As of 2024, just 38% of Africans had access to high-speed internet, compared to 68% worldwide, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Still, Senegal, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire are making progress. The reasons? Falling data prices, a surge in affordable smartphones, and national policies focused on digital transformation.

According to Worldometers, GSMA, ITU, and the 2025 Digital Report, Senegal leads in internet penetration, followed by Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. Interestingly, Côte d’Ivoire stands out for offering the cheapest mobile connectivity — below 2% of monthly gross national income per capita, aligning with UN affordability targets. In Senegal, mobile phones are the most widely accessible device.

A hyperconnected youth leads the charge 👩🏾‍💻

The Digital 2025 report by Kepios shows a steady rise in internet penetration: 2.6% in Cameroon, 2.4% in Côte d’Ivoire, and 2.3% in Senegal. These numbers are largely driven by 15–24-year-olds — who make up over half of all mobile internet users, even though they account for only about 22% of the population in these countries.

What are they doing online? Staying in touch with friends and family (62.1%), searching for information (61%), streaming videos (59.3%) or music (55.3%), and learning through online courses (52.4%) or tutorials (51.7%). For this generation, the internet is both a social lifeline and an educational tool.

As users get older, their digital habits narrow 📲

Among 25–34-year-olds, usage patterns remain close to those of younger users but skew more toward staying updated with current events and building professional or personal development paths via online platforms.

For those aged 35 and up, digital behaviors shift to more practical, goal-oriented use. Think news, specific research, tutorials, and especially health-related content — a top interest among users over 50. For many in this age group, the web is a go-to resource for managing everyday life and well-being.

A digital maturity taking shape 🧠

The evolving user base in these three French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa reveals a growing diversification of online needs. Youth may dominate internet usage in raw numbers, but adults are carving out their own digital spaces with more focused intentions.

As internet access continues to expand, the next step is clear: these countries must invest not just in infrastructure, but in digital education and smart regulation. Only then can every generation unlock the full potential of the internet.

👉🏾 How have your own digital habits changed over time? Let us know.