Smartphone penetration continues to rise in SA, while the feature phone market is shrinking in equal measure.
This is according to the quarterly Mobile Insights Report, by independent mobile ad network, InMobi. Smartphone penetration in SA increased by 3% from the first to the second quarters of this year, while the feature phone market declined by 4% over the same period.
BlackBerry continues to be the dominant brand, with 5.6% growth from the first quarter in the South African market. According to InMobi, Research In Motion's market share in SA is five times that of its market share in the entire African region.
Broken down according to handsets, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is by far the most popular device - taking 41.3% of total impressions. This is followed by the Samsung E250i, at 4.5%, the Nokia X2-02, at 3.3%, and the BlackBerry Curve 9300, at 3.2% of impressions.
VP and MD for Africa at InMobi Isis Nyong'o says: “Given that the majority of the SA market, at 50%, is using BlackBerry, with 35% using a feature phone, app developers need to be cognisant of the balancing act between creating innovative apps to serve Apple's iPhone iOS and Google's Android, but still create material that resonates with the right kind of user, in the right format.”
In terms of mobile advertising, 98% of ad impressions in InMobi's ad network still come from mobi sites, while just 2% come from applications.
“As the smartphone market continues to grow, and the developer community begins to tap deeper into consumer needs and developing trends, opportunities for mobile look to continue their upward spiral in emerging markets,” says Nyong'o.
Consumption patterns
Mobile devices are the top channel for media consumption - accounting for 30% (or an average of 113 minutes) of total consumption. This is followed by television (110 minutes), radio (75 minutes), computers (43 minutes) and books/print publications (40 minutes).
Social media dominates mobile media activities in SA, at 22%. This is followed by entertainment (19%), games (15%), general information search (15%), and e-mail (14%).
While just 9% of mobile users are using their handsets for shopping, InMobi says consumers are increasingly using their cellphones to research things while shopping, and there is a demand for apps that compare prices, show product information and allow consumers to share experiences on social networks.
The full reports and other research can be found on the InMobi site.
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