Abstract
An increasing proportion of mobile users in the Middle East and Africa are
adopting OTT communication services and using mobile money services, so
operators need to consider their position and ambitions and choose a strategy
to counter this threat to their revenue.
Analysys Mason's survey of mobile Internet users in 2012-2013 in the Middle
East and Africa (MEA) revealed that 80% of them use over-the-top (OTT)
messaging services, of which 44% use WhatsApp Messenger. This highlights the
growing adoption of IP-based messaging services in the MEA region, and
reinforces how important it is for operators to respond to this threat as part
of their strategy.
This report provides:
- the findings from primary research on mobile Internet users in the MEA
region
- analysis of the usage of OTT communication services such as WhatsApp
Messenger, Facebook Messenger, BlackBerry Messenger, Apple's iMessage and
Windows Live Messenger
- analysis of the usage of OTT media services such as YouTube
- analysis of the usage and provision of mobile money services in Kenya,
Nigeria and South Africa
- a breakdown of mobile Internet user numbers by country
- recommendations for operators to address the OTT threat in the MEA region.
The survey was conducted during November 2012-January 2013 with a sample of
4250 mobile Internet users in six countries (three in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) and three in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)). It was carried out
in association with On Device Research.
Data coverage
The annex contains the data underlying the charts in the report. It is based
on responses to a survey that Analysys Mason conducted between November 2012
and January 2013 in the Middle East and Africa. Some charts in the report
present data in aggregate form, for instance by only showing the averages in a
region (that is, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan
Africa (SSA)), but in the data annex we have included a breakdown of survey
responses per country, and we have shown the sample size for each question.
GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE
Data is provided for the following six individual countries in two regions of
the Middle East and Africa.
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA):
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- South Africa.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA):
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Table of Contents
- 6.Executive summary
- 7.Our survey reveals that usage of OTT services is high across MEA despite
differences in smartphone penetration and access to high-speed networks
- 8.OTT messaging services are relatively new in MEA, but respondents
reported high levels of usage of WhatsApp Messenger
- 9.YouTube dominates mobile video usage in MEA, while penetration of mobile
money usage is highest and most diverse in Kenya
- 10.About this report
- 11.Recommendations
- 12.Recommendations
- 13.Market context: feature phones and smartphones in the Middle East
and Africa
- 14.Overview of surveyed countries
- 15.Almost 70% of surveyed mobile Internet users in MENA use smartphones,
while feature phones dominate in SSA countries
- 16.Slightly more than half of respondents have a Nokia feature phone or
smartphone, while other vendors' shares vary by country
- 17.OTT mobile communication services
- 18.Almost 80% of mobile Internet respondents use at least one type of OTT
service for social networking, voice calls or messaging
- 19.Social networking, email and instant messaging were the most-commonly
used OTT services in MEA, which reflects trends in the rest of the world
- 20.Use of social networking is high across the region, but Facebook
Messenger is confined to MEA where smartphone penetration is high
- 21.Use of cross-platform messaging apps like WhatsApp Messenger is more
widespread than platform-specific services like BlackBerry Messenger
- 22.Windows Live Messenger is being discontinued and users are likely to
migrate to other platforms such as Skype and Nimbuzz
- 23.Overall, frequent SMS users also use OTT messaging services, but the
cannibalisation threat is more material in MENA countries than SSA
- 24.OTT mobile media services
- 25.More than half of respondents in MEA have used their mobile phones to
access entertainment services such as video, games and music
- 26.Respondents with a smartphone are twice as likely as feature phone
users to watch video on a daily basis on their handset
- 27.YouTube is the most accessed online video service in MEA, while more
users in MENA opt to exclusively access video over Wi-Fi than in SSA
- 28.Lack of interest, cost and lack of awareness are the main obstacles to
mobile video consumption for half of non-users
- 29.Mobile money services
- 30.Mobile is used across sub-Saharan Africa for airtime top-ups and
transfers but respondents from Kenya have the highest and most diverse usage
- 31.Kenya leads SSA countries in terms of inbound mobile money transactions
thanks to the widespread use of Safaricom's M-PESA
- 32.Mobile operators are the primary providers of mobile money services in
Kenya and Nigeria, while banks dominate the market in South Africa
- 33.Survey methodology and country details
- 34.Methodology: Mobile Internet Survey in the Middle East and Africa 2013
- 35.Market summary and panel details: Egypt
- 36.Market summary and panel details: Saudi Arabia
- 37.Market summary and panel details: United Arab Emirates
- 38.Market summary and panel details: Kenya
- 39.Market summary and panel details: Nigeria
- 40.Market summary and panel details: South Africa
- 41.About the authors and Analysys Mason
- 42.About the authors
- 43.About Analysys Mason
- 44.Research from Analysys Mason
- 45.Consulting from Analysys Mason
List of figures
- Figure 1: Selected findings from the Mobile Internet survey in the Middle
East and Africa 2013
- Figure 2: Penetration of OTT communication services as reported by mobile
Internet users, by service type
- Figure 3: Penetration of mobile video services as reported by mobile
Internet users, by service type
- Figure 4: Survey demographics for the countries covered in this report
- Figure 5: Economic and telecoms metrics for the countries and regions
covered in this report, 2012
- Figure 6: Smartphone ownership and GDP per capita in 2012, by country
- Figure 7: Operating system of smartphones used by respondents, by country
- Figure 8: Manufacturer of feature phones used by respondents, by country
- Figure 9: Penetration of OTT services on mobile, by country
- Figure 10: Penetration of OTT services on mobile, by type of mobile phone
and country
- Figure 11: Most frequently used OTT services on mobile, by country
- Figure 12: Facebook Messenger, frequency of use on mobile phones, by
country
- Figure 13: WhatsApp Messenger, frequency of use on mobile phones, by
country
- Figure 14: BlackBerry Messenger and Apple's iMessage, frequency of use on
mobile phones, by country
- Figure 15: Skype, frequency of use on mobile phones, by country
- Figure 16: MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger, frequency of use on
mobile phones, by country
- Figure 17: SMS, frequency of use if using OTT services on mobile phones,
by country
- Figure 18: SMS, frequency of use if not using OTT services on mobile
phones, by country
- Figure 19: Top-five online services used by respondents on their mobile
phone within the past 3 months, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE
- Figure 20: Top-five online services used by respondents on their mobile
phone within the past 3 months, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa
- Figure 21: Reported use of video on mobile phones within the past 3
months, by handset type and country
- Figure 22: Reported propensity to watch videos on mobile phones at least
once a day, by handset type and country
- Figure 23: Most accessed video service on mobile phones, by type and
country
- Figure 24: Use of Wi-Fi to access video services on mobile phones, by
country
- Figure 25: Reasons for not watching video on mobile phones in Egypt, Saudi
Arabia and UAE
- Figure 26: Reasons for not watching video on mobile phones in Kenya,
Nigeria and South Africa
- Figure 27: Reported use of mobile money transfer services in Kenya,
Nigeria and South Africa
- Figure 28: Reported use of services for receiving mobile money in Kenya,
Nigeria and South Africa
- Figure 29: Mobile money services by provider in Kenya, Nigeria and South
Africa
- Figure 30: Survey respondents' demographic data: Egypt
- Figure 31: Survey respondents' demographic data: Saudi Arabia
- Figure 32: Survey respondents' demographic data: UAE
- Figure 33: Survey respondents' demographic data: Kenya
- Figure 34: Survey respondents' demographic data: Nigeria
- Figure 35: Survey respondents' demographic data: South Africa
