South Africans are the most devoted social media buffs in Africa and BlackBerry's once leading instant messaging service has slid down the popularity pole as newer, unrestricted applications make their way to the top.
These are two of the SA-specific trends global telecommunications company Ericsson has found in its preliminary research into how consumers in Africa use their mobile phones and what it means for mobile operators and the ICT sector at large.
The latest Ericsson Consumer Labs study for sub-Saharan Africa is expected to be released around the beginning of October. In the meantime Shiletsi Makhofane, Ericsson's marketing and strategy head for the region, has given media in Stockholm, Sweden - the company's birthplace - a sneak peek of what trends can be expected to emerge.
While the preview is based on groundwork research and Ericsson cannot yet divulge specific statistics, Makhofane says the market is clearly becoming more sophisticated in terms of how consumers use their devices - an observation reflected in shifting numbers and behaviours.
Here are 10 of the key trends that have come into view from the telecoms giant's ongoing research, carried out in a quest to understand consumer behaviour and inform operators' strategic direction:
1. The mobile phone is by far the main device in sub-Saharan Africa, with DVD players and smartphones being the second and third in line.
2. Most mobile users in sub-Saharan Africa pay for data on their mobile phone only as they need it. A large amount of cellphone users across the region do not use data on their phones at all.
3. The top three communication services used by South African mobile users are SMS (sending and receiving text), followed by social networking and using instant messaging. All other sub-Saharan countries echo SA in terms of text leading the way, but favour Internet browsing over instant messaging.
4. SA, Nigeria and Kenya are the highest consumers of social media in sub-Saharan Africa, with mobile users under the age of 30 being the biggest contributors.
5. 30% of mobile users in sub-Saharan Africa use the Internet on their mobile phones every day.
6. The top three instant messaging platforms used by South Africans are WhatsApp now at the top of the list, followed by Facebook Messenger and then BlackBerry Messenger.
7. App usage across the region is still focused on entertainment and communication, but there is now an apparent aspiration for users to start using more productivity and utility apps.
8. Buying airtime, followed by transferring money to/from someone are the most commonly used mobile financial services in sub-Saharan Africa.
9. The top three financial services used by South Africans are: bank or credit card notifications, followed by buying airtime or phone credit and third of all, receiving salaries.
10. The top three financial services of interest in SA are buying airtime, transferring money to someone, and then transferring money between a bank account and mobile phone.
Share