Data by Top10VPN has shown that sub-Saharan African countries lost $1.5 billion to Internet shutdowns in 2024. This is 19% of the total $7.69 billion that was lost to Internet shutdowns worldwide.
In 2024, there were a total of 28 Internet shutdowns across 28 countries. 13 of these were African countries — Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Algeria, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, Mozambique, Chad, Mauritius, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, and Equatorial Guinea.
Sudan is the African country that lost the most — $1.12 billion — to Internet shutdowns. Total Internet shutdowns in the country lasted for more than 12,707 hours or over 529 days.
The Internet shutdown in Sudan is mainly due to a prolonged conflict in the country, which has claimed 13,000 and displaced more than 10 million people.
Other African countries like Kenya and Ethiopia shut down the Internet because of protests. Both countries lost $75 million and $211 million to Internet shutdowns, respectively.
The Finance Bill protest in Kenya made headlines as it worsened and led to injury and arrest of protesters.
The nationwide protests sparked by the proposed Finance Bill, sought to introduce higher taxes amidst growing economic hardships. Started in June and was primarily led by the youth, using social media platforms to organize and voice their frustrations.
Protesters accused the government of corruption and mismanagement, calling for better governance and a reduction in the cost of living. The protests quickly escalated, with thousands of people flooding the streets and a dramatic storming of the Kenyan Parliament on June 25, 2024, which resulted in fires, casualties, and over 20 deaths.
The protests lasted several weeks and prompted a mix of government responses, from police crackdowns to policy changes.
Subsequently, Kenyan President William Ruto declined to sign the Finance Bill into law and dismissed most of his government, promising reforms and a focus on national unity. Despite these concessions, many protesters continued demanding deeper changes, including Ruto’s resignation.
While the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) disclosed that it has no plans to shut down the Internet or disrupt the quality of connectivity, NetBlocks confirmed that there was a major disruption to Internet connectivity.
Interestingly, the major reason for the Internet shutdown in Africa is conflicts. In Asia, where there was the most shutdown in 2024, the leading cause was elections.
Globally, losses from Internet shutdowns have reduced since 2022 — $24.61b billion to $7.69 billion. However, African countries have always been on the list of biggest losers.
