Over 80% of South African internet users use smartphones to access the World Wide Web, while just over 18% use traditional methods. Social media is the third most popular activity on smartphones, after instant messaging and email. And the used of these mediums has increased since March 2014.
These are some of the findings of research by Effective Measure into desktop user’s attitudes and uses of mobile phones. Effective Measure surveyed 5 113 desktop internet users that looked at areas such as smartphone ownership, brand’s market share and consumer’s intentions to buy.
The research revealed that Vodacom is the market leader in terms of networks, with a 59.4% market share, but this has also declined slightly since March 2014. The other three providers – MTN, 8ta and CellC – have grown slightly.
Two thirds of those who access the internet on their desktop computer have a contract with a telecoms provider. Internet users with cellphones – 65.7% – subscribe to a data plan and 50.9% have access to more than 1GB
The most preferred phone is Samsung, followed by Nokia and BlackBerry. The latter two brands market share has dropped significantly, and the gap filled by Samsung, the research showed. But Apple iPads (35%) were more popular than the Samsung Galaxy tablet.
Facebook’s WhatsApp buyout will put the social media platform as the market leader in instant messaging apps at 77%. Almost 50% of smartphone owners report that they’ve been exposed to mobile ads.
