This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 4/12/2019

Overview

The telecommunication sector is an active market for foreign investors.  The four main telecommunication companies are: Africell (foreign-owned), Comium (foreign-owned), Gamtel (state-owned) and Qcell (private, domestic).  The penetration rate of mobile phones is well over 100 percent.  The largest mobile phone company (Africell) has about 1.5 million customers which is approximately 65 percent of the active subscribers.  Gamcel, Comium, and Qcell have, respectively, 10 percent, 11 percent, and 14 percent of the market in terms of subscribers.  The regulatory authority for the telecommunication industry is the Public Utilities Regulatory Agency (PURA), which was created in 2001. The government imposes a 40 percent tax on telecommunications companies.

There are multiple internet service providers.  The main internet service providers are Gamtel, Africell, Netpage, and Qcell.  With the launch of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable in 2011, the quality of connectivity has improved significantly.
Table 6. The Gambia Telecommunications Sector Trade Data 2014 – 2017, value (US $)

 

2014

2015

2016

2017 (Estimated)

Total Local Production

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Total Exports

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Total Imports

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Imports from the US
 

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Total Market Size

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Exchange Rates: 1USD

40

42

44

45

(total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)
Source: n/a
Source (exchange rate data): Central Bank of The Gambia

Leading Sub-Sectors

Importation and management of hardware wireless technology, computer information systems, e-services i.e. e-government systems, servers, printing technologies, audiovisual systems, desktop computers, tablets, and other computer hardware and accessories are among the best leading sub-sector prospects within the telecommunications sector.
Data Centers: Building data systems synchronization and centralization infrastructure for both public and private sector use.  
Data Analytics software platforms; for more efficient public sector programming.  
Cloud computing and mapping: The GOTG does not have in place any existing backup systems infrastructure, which is also a problem shared by the private sector.  Cloud technologies present an affordable failsafe option to disaster recovery, while also presenting opportunities for rolling out e-services in The Gambia.

Opportunities

Even with the launch of the ACE cable, there is still scope for additional connections to submarine cables to enhance The Gambia’s connectivity to other parts of the world.  This presents opportunities for establishing submarine cable networks in the medium term.  In the short term, more linkages can be made with mobile money and pay-as-you-go systems that are similar to the integration of eCommerce systems with the electrcity payments systems.

With the recent establishment of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) directorate under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, the government has identified several priority sectors for long-term concessions.  Among these is the telecommunications sector, where there is a need for a private partner in setting up a national data center under a PPP scheme.  The private investor in this project is expected to retain a 51 percent stake.  Another potential PPP project where the government is looking for a private partner is the GAMSWITCH project, which will involve the development of a e-service switch for clearing electronic payments and transactions through ATMs.  The fourth component of the Gamswitch modernization payment system is still ongoing.

Web Resources

MOICI
Gamtel
Gamcel
Africell
COMIUM
Q Cell
 

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