The increasing use of mobile phones to browse the internet – this has grown 15% to nearly 70% since 2015 – should change the way the media and publishing industries approach content.
The new South African Mobile Report, released by Effective Measure on Tuesday [30 May 2017], has found that mobile should be “top of mind” for the digital industry. “Mobile is changing the way the media and publishing industry approach content – does this capture attention, is this mobile-optimised, and does my audience use mobile?” it reports. Effective Measure surveyed 4 993 mobile internet users to compile the report.
“We started this research because we know professionally and personally how integrated mobile phones are in our lives. What we don’t really know is how South Africans in particular use their smartphones. These insights highlight how South Africans are changing as consumers,” said Greg Mason, Sub-Saharan Africa regional managing director of Effective Measure.
The survey showed over 40% of South African smartphone owners use their mobile for over two hours a day; 35% of South Africans reach for their smartphones as soon as they wake up, 36% are on phones while watching television, 44% use their mobile device in bed and 13% connect in the bathroom!
“Interestingly enough, almost half of South Africans will click on a mobile advertisement if it is advertising something they want and need. Providing the right message at the right time to the right person is more important than ever if brands want to cut through and connect with their target audience,” Mason said.
The most common cell phone searches were for job information, directions and maps, and the weather. The least common search was for product reviews.
In numbers
63% of users are on contract, with 37% using prepaid
53% subscribe to Vodacom, with 30% using MTN, 12% on Cell C, and 4% on Telkom mobile
40% use Samsung (which appears to be a research partner)
42% of South Africans use their cell phone for 30 minutes to two hours per day, on average.
18% use their cell phones for over five hours per day.
78% of South Africans last accessed the internet on their cell phone yesterday
83% of South Africans use WhatsApp on their mobiles. SMS follows in popularity at 51%, and then Facebook Messanger at 40%.
42% of South Africans use their mobiles for banking, the most common transaction
26% can’t remember the last ad they saw on their phone; 22% saw an SMS, 19% saw an ad on a mobile website, and 15% saw an ad in an app.
Click on the cover to read the report.
