The latest ICT sector report underscores the country’s remarkable progress towards a fully digital economy — a shift with profound social and economic implications

Kenya’s Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has unveiled the latest Sector Statistics Report, covering the period from January to March 2025. The report shows that the sector is not just expanding—it's transforming how Kenyans live, work, and connect, signaling the country’s accelerating shift towards a fully digital economy.

At the heart of this surge is a record-breaking 76.16 million mobile (SIM) subscriptions, marking a 6.7% increase and pushing the mobile penetration rate to an impressive 145.3%. This figure—well above the 100% mark—reflects a growing trend of individuals using multiple SIM cards to maximize coverage and services, underscoring the deepening role of mobile technology in daily life.

Equally striking is the rise of machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions, which grew by 3.5% to nearly 2 million. This growth points to Kenya’s expanding adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, laying the groundwork for smarter cities, connected homes, and more efficient industries.

Mobile money services—long considered a backbone of Kenya’s digital economy—continued their steady ascent. Subscriptions surged by 7.2% to reach 45.36 million, while the number of mobile money agents rose by 5.5% to 416,994. This robust growth reflects not only the ongoing shift towards cashless transactions but also the critical role mobile money plays in deepening financial inclusion and empowering small businesses across the country.

Internet connectivity saw parallel gains. Mobile data subscriptions climbed to 57.18 million (a 1.9% increase), while mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 2.4% to 44.44 million. Importantly, the quarter also recorded a continued rise in smartphone adoption, with numbers up by 2.1% to 42.35 million. Feature phones, too, saw a notable 6.5% rise to 32.5 million. Together, these trends pushed overall mobile device penetration to 143%, with smartphones and feature phones accounting for 80.8% and 62.2%, respectively. This widespread device adoption is unlocking new possibilities in areas like e-learning, e-commerce, and telemedicine, helping bridge the urban-rural digital divide.

Shifts in communication habits were also evident. Domestic voice traffic increased, with on-net calls up 5.4% to 24.36 billion minutes and off-net calls rising by 5.1%. On-net SMS volumes grew by 2.8%, while off-net SMS traffic dropped by 7.7%, reflecting the migration to internet-based messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.

As Kenya’s digital footprint grows, so does the importance of safeguarding it. The report highlights a dramatic 201.7% increase in cyber threats detected by the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team (KE-CIRT), which recorded 2.5 billion incidents. In response, 13.2 million cyber threat advisories were issued, a 14.2% rise, underscoring the critical need for heightened cybersecurity awareness and investment to protect digital gains.

Looking ahead, Kenya’s vibrant ICT sector promises to drive even greater opportunities for entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities nationwide. The latest CA report not only reaffirms the sector’s role as a catalyst for economic growth and digital inclusion but also highlights the urgent need to ensure that progress is both inclusive and secure.

Hikmatu Bilali

A Nigerian national, he moved to Rwanda to pursue his university studies. There, he felt compelled to provide innovative and sustainable agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers and urban households, particularly in arid areas or those vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Israel Smart, a Nigerian entrepreneur based in Rwanda, is the founder of Smartel Agritech, a startup at the forefront of developing hydroponic systems. These systems are specifically designed for arid zones and regions impacted by climate change.

Launched in 2022, Smartel Agritech creates soilless farming solutions that utilize nutrient-enriched water instead of traditional soil. This innovation allows for cultivation in areas with limited water or arable land. The company’s systems integrate hydroponics with smart irrigation, solar energy, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. This combination optimizes plant growth, monitors nutrient needs in real time, detects crop diseases, and automates irrigation. According to the startup, this technology reduces water usage by up to 90% compared to conventional farming, while simultaneously increasing yields and decreasing agriculture's carbon footprint.

Smartel targets smallholder farmers, urban households, and refugee communities. Its goal is to facilitate local production of vegetables, fodder, and fruits at lower costs and with reduced environmental impact. The company also provides training, technical support, and revenue-sharing models to encourage the adoption of its systems.

To date, Smartel Agritech reports creating 400 direct and 2,150 indirect jobs. It has also trained 1,750 small-scale farmers and installed over 300 hydroponic systems. The company estimates these achievements have cut carbon emissions by 360 tonnes, or approximately 1.2 tonnes per system.

On June 24, 2025, Smartel joined the ninth cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa.

Israel Smart pursued studies in software engineering and machine learning at the African Leadership University in Rwanda. In 2023, he served as a project assistant at OpenAI. The following year, he interned as a software engineer in the Sustainability and Governance division at Libra Group in the U.S. Libra Group is a global conglomerate with diverse interests including aerospace, investments, hospitality, shipping, real estate, and renewable energy.

He was recognized as a Young Environmental Ambassador by the Bestseller Foundation in 2023 and joined the World Food Programme’s accelerator for his connected food systems. In the same year, he received the Diana Award, an honor for young individuals making a significant social or humanitarian impact in memory of Princess Diana.

Written in French by Melchior Koba,

Translated and adapted into English by Mouka Mezonlin

Two Algerian tech entrepreneurs built a solution to help small and medium-sized businesses manage their human resources more easily and locally.

Talenteo, a SaaS platform developed by a young Algiers-based startup, gives SMEs tools to handle their entire HR cycle — from payroll to onboarding, plus leave, absences, and regulatory compliance. Tarik Metnani and Louai Djaffer launched the startup in 2022.

In June, the company raised an undisclosed six-figure investment from Tunisia-based 216 Capital. This funding will speed up Talenteo’s growth in Algeria and prepare it for regional expansion. The founders plan to move into Tunisia first, then other North African markets.

“We believe that a company’s success relies on investing in human resources. Talenteo was created to help African companies digitize their HR processes to support their growth and impact,” said co-founder Louai Djaffer.

Talenteo positions itself as a local alternative to foreign solutions, which often fail to match African regulatory and linguistic needs. The platform mainly targets businesses with fewer than 250 employees — the core of Algeria’s and Francophone Africa’s economy.

The company says its solution offers an integrated approach that fits local administrative requirements, such as payslip compliance under Algerian law and customized dashboards. Talenteo aims to cut paperwork for SMEs, boost transparency, and professionalize talent management.

Adoni Conrad Quenum