When you think about the future of Africa’s digital economy, the focus often lands on 5G, artificial intelligence, or blockchain. But the real issue − the one that determines whether these technologies deliver any value − is uptime.
In Africa, one dropped connection can have serious consequences. A logistics truck could be stranded at a border post. A refrigerated shipment could lose its cold chain. A security camera could go offline at a critical moment.
If connected devices can’t stay online, the promises of efficiency, automation and data-driven decision-making collapse.
If Africa does not address its uptime challenge, IOT adoption will stall.
And yet, unreliable connectivity is still widely accepted. Businesses and operators often settle for roaming SIMs or single-core network setups, despite knowing these systems are prone to outages. Downtime has become an accepted part of doing business, when it should be seen as the biggest threat to digital transformation.
The perfect storm
Several forces are converging to make uptime non-negotiable across Africa’s connected industries.
Efficiency pressure: Logistics and fleet operators are being pushed to deliver faster, cheaper and more predictably. Every delay or data gap adds cost and risk.
AI and data demand: Artificial intelligence and analytics rely on uninterrupted data streams. When data uploads are fragmented, models become less accurate and automation falters.
Risk management: Insurers and regulators increasingly require continuous, verifiable records to assess compliance, safety and liability.
Together, these pressures make constant connectivity essential. A truck’s dashcam footage is useless if the connection drops at Beitbridge. AI can’t optimise transport routes if half the trip’s data never reaches the cloud. Operations cannot plan efficient delivery to the warehouse in Lusaka if they don't know where the vehicle and the cargo are.
Why the legacy approach fails
The root of the problem lies in how connectivity has traditionally been built. Most internet of things (IOT) devices use SIMs tied to a single mobile network operator, or rely on roaming agreements that were never designed for always-on, cross-border use.
Roaming works for travellers who move between countries occasionally. But it’s unreliable and expensive for fleets and assets that operate across borders every day.
Global restrictions on “permanent roaming” − where a SIM is permanently used outside its home network − are tightening. African regulators are among those enforcing stricter rules. This means IOT projects that depend on foreign roaming SIMs risk being cut off or non-compliant.
At the same time, the cost of downtime is climbing. The “Value of Reliability: ABB Survey Report 2023” estimated that enterprises lose about $170 000 per hour of unplanned IT downtime on average globally. In logistics or manufacturing, the impact is broader − reputational harm, contract disputes and potential safety risks.
If uptime is the challenge, resilience is the solution. IOT systems in Africa must be designed to withstand failure because network disruptions are unavoidable. The goal is not to eliminate outages but to recover instantly when they occur.
This calls for a shift from the traditional “one network, one SIM” setup to a more advanced, multi-IMSI multiple core network model. Devices need built-in intelligence that allows the SIM to switch automatically between mobile network operators and core networks, maintain local connectivity and keep transmitting data even when one route fails.
Resilient IOT also requires close alignment between connectivity providers, device manufacturers and customers. Connectivity can no longer be treated as an afterthought; it must be a core part of IOT architecture and strategy from day one.
The way forward
Too much of Africa’s IOT conversation still revolves around high-level visions − smart cities, Industry 4.0, digital transformation. Those goals are valid, but they depend entirely on stable, continuous connectivity. Without uptime, these ambitions remain just talk.
If Africa does not address its uptime challenge, IOT adoption will stall. Solving it will unlock major economic opportunities. With resilient, cross-border connectivity in place, African industries could outperform regions still limited by roaming and fragmented infrastructure.
The responsibility for making this happen lies with the entire ecosystem − operators, OEMs, regulators and solution providers. The focus must shift from managing downtime to eliminating it through design. That means embedding resilience in every layer of the technology stack: from SIM applets and firmware, to network cores and support systems.
Uptime is more than a technical metric. It is the test of whether Africa’s connected future will succeed or fall short. The region’s digital progress − and the billions invested in IOT − depend on keeping devices, data and businesses online, all the time.
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