Here is the most popular messaging App in Africa
WhatsApp marks a remarkable success in the world, with more than a billion users a day. The instant messaging application has also managed to stand out on the African continent.
According to a report by digital agencies ‘We Are Social and Hootsuite’, the number of social network users on the African continent stands at 191 million. One hundred seventy-one million use two Facebook platforms, namely WhatsApp and Messenger. The first is the most used with a hundred million users.
The app played a significant role in the flow of information during protest movements last year. It’s on WhatsApp that activists have turned to ring the bell.
In addition to mobilizations, messaging is a business tool for African small businesses. It is in this sense that Facebook launched WhatsApp Business. E-commerce retailers have also used it to engage customers and efficiently execute returns and manage delivery failures.
The trend is growing. Indeed, since January 2017, Internet usage in Africa has increased by 20%, including 73 million additional people. Growth rates in Africa are currently the highest in the world. In Mali, users have increased sixfold and more than doubled in Benin, Sierra Leone, Niger, and Mozambique.
However, Africa is struggling with internet connectivity. In some parts of the continent, monthly broadband plans remain high. This leads to low profitability of the internet in sectors such as health, education, or financial services.
