Until now, digital inclusion in Madagascar has been hampered by a lack of accessible equipment, with many households and students relying on shared or outdated tools to access online platforms.

On Saturday, February 21, authorities in Madagascar officially launched a national program to sell 664,000 subsidized digital devices, 400,000 of which are earmarked for women and girls. This initiative aims to broaden access to digital devices and bridge the digital divide, particularly for women and young people, while sustainably strengthening digital inclusion in the country.

The program’s implementation relies on a network of nine contracted official distributors to ensure transparency, equipment accessibility, and progressive national coverage, including in rural areas. The program falls under the “Affordable Digital Equipment” sub-component of the DECIM Fund (Digital and Energy Connectivity for Inclusion in Madagascar), which has a budget of $24 million.

Unveiled in April 2025, this program is part of the Malagasy authorities’ overall strategy to support socio-economic development through digital technology. This strategy is framed by the 2023-2028 Five-Year Digital Strategic Plan (PSN), which outlines a roadmap to position Madagascar as a major player in Africa’s digital economy. The plan emphasizes the development of telecommunications, e-government, and digital inclusion. The authorities are specifically targeting a 6% contribution from the digital sector to GDP by 2028, compared to 1.5% in 2019.

However, the digital divide remains pronounced in Madagascar. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), only 18.7% of the population (estimated at 32.9 million by the World Bank) used the internet in 2024, while 44.4% owned mobile phones, regardless of the type of device. The GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) emphasizes that the affordability of smartphones remains a major obstacle to internet adoption, even in areas already covered by the network, despite devices now being available for under $100.

It is also worth noting that this initiative remains marginal compared to the population still excluded from digital access. Furthermore, the Malagasy authorities have not yet announced any further phases or a precise timeline.

Access to smartphones alone does not guarantee the adoption and use of digital services. Other factors limit digital inclusion, notably telecom network coverage. According to the ITU, 2G and 3G networks covered 88.5% and 69.2% of the population respectively at the end of 2023. 4G reached 34.6% in 2024, while 5G covered only 6.12%. Added to this are the cost of internet packages, the level of digital skills, security concerns, the quality of the connectivity experience, and the perceived lack of relevance of digital services for certain populations. 

Source: Agence Ecofin