Mobile usage on the rise in SA

According to a statement issued by Multimedia Solutions on Bizcommunity, the number of people who are using their cellphones for access to the Internet is exploding in South Africa. While SMS and MMS figures have been increasing year on year, low data tariffs, easy access to the mobile web and a growing amount of online content customised for mobile viewing are responsible for the increase in the number of consumers accessing the mobile web and related services, says Multimedia Solutions Operations Director, Riaan Groenewald.

According to Admob, the world's largest mobile advertiser, South African is ranked third in its advertising stats report having created over 144 million impressions in the month of December 2007. On the instant messaging front, Mxit is showing equally impressive stats with almost six million registered users, 9 million logins per day, a staggering 200 million messages passing through their servers daily and a growth rate of between 10 000 and 11 000 new subscriptions per day.

Clearly, online connectivity through cell phones is becoming increasingly adopted and accepted by South African consumers. The question remains whether retailers and marketers are ready to connect in these new ways.