Facebook use on the rise in Africa

Alan Littler

According to recent statistics released by social media giant Facebook, the fastest growing area for new users of its network is Africa.

The number of new and active users of the network in Africa has made a leap of almost 20% in the past 12 months, with the continent now boasting a user base of 120 million.

Statistics released by the social phenomenon say that the three countries with the most users logging onto the site each month are Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Between the three nations, more than 31.5 million people are visiting the site, with 80% of users logging in using a mobile device.

Furthermore, Facebook has said that 60% of all users of the internet in Africa are now set up on the social platform.

One of the many reasons why the continent is seeing an increase in the number of registered Facebook users is because more people are buying and using mobile phones. This has led the company to open a new office in the continent in June this year, with the aim further enhance the enterprise’s commitment to help connect people in this area, who beforehand had little exposure to the internet.

The use of mobile devices in Africa has meant that many areas have completely skipped the fixed telephone era faced by Europe and North America during the 1980s and 1990s.

Companies such as Facebook and Google have been executing ambitious plans to bring internet connections to the more remote areas of the world where technology is not particularly enhanced. This has seen continents such as Africa become an untapped market for other companies in the technology industry.

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Alan Littler

Operations Manager at Engage Web

A bastion of fitness and athleticism, yet also a chocoholic, our Operations Manager Alan is a man of contradictions known for his fiendish powers of organisation.