Facebook Grips the African Continent During the Mobile Revolution

Editorial Team Published 10 September 2015

It has been more than a year since Facebook launched Internet.org to many African nations, and monthly active users of the social media site are on the rise as mobile penetration grows on the continent.

Facebook has shared new statistics revealing that 2.2 million Kenyans use Facebook every day and 4.5 million each month, while 7.1 million Nigerians use Facebook daily and 15 million are active every month. What’s interesting is that almost all of these people are coming to Facebook on a mobile device, with 100 percent of Nigerian monthly and 95 percent of Kenyan monthly users accessing the social media site from their mobile devices.

The statistics follow the recent announcement that Facebook’s active user population in Africa grew 20 percent to 120 million in June 2015, up from 100 million in September 2014. More than three quarters of these people access Facebook from their mobile phones and these users represent more than half of all those connected on the continent.

Nunu Ntshingila, newly appointed Head of Africa at Facebook, commented on the figures: “At Facebook, we have a saying that we’re only one percent done, and this couldn’t be truer for Facebook in Africa. I’m only just beginning this journey, and I’m already incredibly inspired by the power of connection; from the smallest moments to fostering global conversations. Everyone on Facebook has a story, and I can’t wait to hear the stories from Kenya and Nigeria firsthand.”

Ntshingila continued: “The mobile revolution is not a trend; it’s the fastest adoption of disruptive technology in the history of communication. It’s also an incredibly personal device regardless of where a person lives or how they connect; and businesses need to reach people where they are, not where they were, in an authentic, personal and relevant way. I look forward to spending time with businesses across Africa to understand how we can work together.”

Facebook recently opened its first office in Africa to further the Company’s commitment to help businesses connect with people and grow locally and regionally. The new office is the next step in furthering Facebook’s investment in Africa and its people. The team in Africa plans to initially focus on Kenya (East Africa), Nigeria (West Africa), and South Africa (Southern Africa).

Ari Kesisoglu, Facebook’s Regional Director for MEA, said: “We are committed to creating solutions tailored to people and businesses in Africa. We continue to spend time with businesses to learn about how we can work together to create better, more flexible and less fragmented ways for businesses to reach people in Africa.”