Across Africa, 5G is changing how networks are built and how intelligence is embedded end-to-end. The clear test of that shift is voice. For decades, voice has been the most universal service on the continent, simple, reliable, and personal. As 5G scales and AI moves into the call path, voice is evolving from a best-effort utility into an intelligent platform that blends network efficiency with human experience.
The foundation: VoLTE as the bridge between generations
As operators accelerate 5G rollouts, the shift from legacy circuit-switched voice to Voice over LTE (VoLTE) has become the essential step toward an intelligent voice ecosystem. Unlike traditional calls, VoLTE operates entirely over IP, delivering higher spectral efficiency, lower latency, and more consistent quality across network layers. Globally, the scale of this transition is striking, with industry analyses projecting billions of VoLTE and Vo5G connections by 2025. In Africa, more than fifty commercial 5G networks are already live and the number of VoLTE deployments has doubled in just a few years. Penetration among users remains low, which means there is significant room to unlock call quality, capacity headroom, and new service models simply by completing the VoLTE transition.
The shift: 5G + AI creates a new calling experience
The next frontier isn’t just faster connectivity, it is intelligent communication. With AI embedded in 5G core networks, operators can transform calls from static audio exchanges into dynamic, multi-modal experiences. 5G New Calling, already piloted by leading operators in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, integrates AI into VoLTE/VoNR networks so the call listens, interprets and assists. AI noise reduction cleans crowded audio in real time, real-time translation bridges language divides across a multilingual region, and call assistants can summarise conversations, retrieve information and automate follow-up actions. This evolution shifts the call from a cost centre to a service platform that can host productivity tools, accessibility functions and high-trust interactions, while keeping customers inside the reliability of the voice channel.
The vision: intelligent voice as a layer of digital equality
For innovation to matter, it must reach everyone. Africa’s connectivity landscape is heterogeneous, with 2G and 3G still carrying a significant share of voice traffic. The architecture must reflect that reality. The way forward is multi-RAT access with intelligence applied in the 2G&3G&4G&5G&fixed convergent voice core so users on legacy access still benefit from AI-enhanced experiences. Voice-only interpretation, noise reduction and other voice-based services can be delivered from the network side. When features do not depend on a specific handset model or a new application, the experience widens rather than fragments. In 2025, Telkom are exploring new services, e.g. AI-powered simultaneous interpretation, for Android, Apple and basic feature phones, enabling users to enjoy consistent high-quality network experiences.
The imperative: build voice for the intelligent era
The convergence of 5G and AI is reshaping telecoms at every layer, from radio to core to user experience. For voice, this means moving beyond reliability toward intelligence. AI will be integrated throughout the call process, enabling operators to provide a voice calling assistant that supports users before, during, and after calls. For example, this assistant can handle tasks like AI-powered call answering, real-time translation, and post-call summaries. In the future, traditional calls evolve into interactive experiences that can be seen, touched, and managed through IMS DC capabilities. Multi-modal general assistants transform calls from simple information transfers into practical tools that address user needs. If operators scale VoLTE penetration while embedding AI capabilities, Africa’s voice industry can move from legacy dependency to intelligent growth that is technologically advanced and inclusive by design.
Security and privacy must live inside the call flow as capabilities grow. Consent, audit trails and data-retention controls should be engineered as first principles. The technical tools already exist, policy-driven processing, encryption, on-prem and regional data options, and transparent telemetry, and clear governance becomes the precondition for adoption rather than a brake on innovation.
Africa is well placed to lead this transition. The continent has repeatedly leapfrogged when the architecture is right, and the service is simple. The dialler remains the most familiar interface in African digital life, and elevating its quality and intelligence is the fastest way to deliver tangible gains without asking people to change behaviour. A call to a nurse, a teacher, a taxi operator, a municipal hotline or a cross-border supplier should be clear, verified and summarised, on any phone, across any access, in any language.
Voice built the foundation of mobile in Africa. 5G and AI now give us the tools to rebuild it for the intelligent era, clearer, smarter and inclusive by design. The technology is mature. The implementation choices are in front of us. The next step is disciplined execution so that every call moves from connection to capability.
- Yousuf, President: CS & IMS Domain, Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line
