Mobile technology in Africa

[4] This means that mobile technology is the largest platform in Africa, and can access a wide range of income groups.

A major success factor of mobile telephony in Africa is the scarce diffusion of PSTNs (fixed line networks).

Fixed line networks hardly reach the remote rural areas where a relevant percentage of the African population lives.

More recently, coverage has reached 90% of the territory in several countries, including Comoros, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, and Uganda.

Other countries that in 2007 reached above 50% of GSM coverage are Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Guinea, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Swaziland, and Togo.

In 2007 this has been extended to Gabon, DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan.

[8] After Celtel, other providers operating in African markets have announced their intent to gradually reduce and eventually abolish roaming costs for certain areas.

For example, mobile technology is used to provide information on health, education, finances or to access specific groups such as the youth.

Internationally, companies such as TextToChange, FrontlineSMS, RapidSMS, Ushahidi all work with mobiles in health, disaster relief and aid management.

At the summit, the WHO released a report stating that eighty-three per cent of governments surveyed had at least one mHealth project in their country.

The aim of the mobile community was to create a space that would be interactive and fun where young people could talk candidly and learn about love, relationships and sex and HIV/AIDS.

At the end of 2010, Vodacom’s mobile platform, Vodafone Live, was receiving 3.2 million unique users monthly.

All with a social call to action at the end, they participate in polls, watch videos that link to stories and can engage in anonymous chat rooms.

Users have commented saying YoungAfricaLive creates a platform for them to express their ideas, making them proud of their status and encouraging them to be responsible around sex.