Togo’s Mobile Penetration Tops 100% For First Time As Subscriptions Hit 8.69 Mln

Telecom

Monday, 26 January 2026 14:16

Togo’s Mobile Penetration Tops 100% For First Time As Subscriptions Hit 8.69 Mln

(Togo First) - Mobile phone subscriptions reached 8.69 million by the end of September 2025, taking the penetration rate above 100% for the first time, to 100.31%. The estimate is based on an assumed population of 8.67 million, according to third-quarter 2025 data from the Electronic Communications Market Observatory published by the Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP).

The figures point to a telecommunications market that continues to expand, driven mainly by mobile services, data usage and digital financial services.

Mobile penetration can exceed 100% because the indicator reflects the number of active SIM cards rather than the number of individual users, measured against the population. The sector is also moving into a more mature phase, though there is still room for growth. The mobile subscriber base rose 17% year on year.

Fixed-line telephony remains marginal, with 84,050 subscriptions and a penetration rate of less than 1%.

Data and internet: 4G rises as 2G declines

As with mobile voice services, mobile internet use continued to grow. High-speed 3G and 4G mobile data subscriptions reached 4.93 million, up 5% quarter on quarter.

By contrast, 2G subscriptions fell 6% in the third quarter. Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) subscriptions continued to rise, although growth slowed in 2025 compared with 2024. Subscriptions increased by 0.5% from the second quarter of 2025 and by 12.5% from a year earlier. FTTH penetration stood at 1.53% of the population at end-September 2025.

Over the same period, mobile data traffic rose 16% from the previous quarter, while outgoing mobile voice traffic increased 8%. Total sector revenue reached 65.88 billion CFA Francs in the third quarter of 2025, including 56 billion CFA Francs from the mobile segment.

However, investment fell sharply year on year, despite a quarterly rebound among mobile operators. Mobile money services also continued to gain traction. In 2025, the number of subscribers rose 21% year on year and 9% quarter on quarter. The value of transactions increased 33% from a year earlier.

The growth, however, masks persistent gaps. These include multiple-account ownership, the concentration of transactions among a relatively small share of active users, and urban-rural disparities. These factors continue to limit broader financial inclusion, even though the country ranks among WAEMU’s strongest performers in mobile money.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

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REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.