Smartphone adoption in Africa to reach 87%

    Kegan Peffer, CEO of Adoozy Power, is upbeat about the market for mobile power banks because of Africa’s adoption of smartphones, which is boosted by the continent’s young population and competitive pricing. However, with electricity provision still lagging behind, power banks become even more important.

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    xb100 on Freepik, Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

    Things are looking good for Africa’s mobile economy, according to the latest Mobile Economy 2023 report released by the Global System Operators and Manufacturers Association (GSMA). The report projects Sub-Saharan Africa as being one of the global regions that will see the biggest increase in smartphone adoption and is set to reach 87% by 2030, up from 51% in 2022. By the end of the decade, Sub-Saharan Africa and India will account for nearly half of the world’s new mobile subscribers.

    “The rising youth population in Africa has a lot to do with this, along with more competitive pricing in the mobile sector,” says Kegan Peffer, CEO of Adoozy Power, which offers mobile power banks for rent across South Africa. The market for mobile power banks is forecast to expand to more than 600-million mobile power bank users over the next five years. Further to this, the report indicates that the mobile data traffic per mobile device in Africa will nearly quadruple, with a 3.9x increase by 2028, growing from 4.6GB (gigabytes) per user per month to 18GB.

    Smartphone usage is no longer just about staying connected. It is now an integral part of the way we work, shop, manage our finances and socialise. More importantly, mobile is committed to changing our lives for the better. As the first sector to commit to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2016, the mobile industry is currently achieving 53% of what it can contribute to these goals, placing a major focus on digital inclusion and innovation, says Peffer.

    5G will massively increase connectivity

    In looking at improving mobile access and connectivity, the GSMA also forecasts that 5G connections are expected to double over the next two years, with deployments rolling out in more than 30 countries in a single year. The Mobile Economy report indicates that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of 5G subscriptions is expected to reach 213-million in 2030.

    CEO of Cape Town-based IT company Innovo Networks, Damian Michael, says that the sooner 5G rollout in Africa can take off, the better it will be for business and post-pandemic recovery. “At the moment, fibre connections are the most reliable for both consumers and businesses, but when 5G wireless networks and fibre optic networks can work together to support connectivity, it’s going to open up a holistic communication system that will improve reliability and affordability for SA businesses as well as citizens. Despite delays in infrastructure capabilities, it’s encouraging to see Africa heading in the right direction,” says Michael

    Other benefits of 5G will include the positive socioeconomic impact. Areas said to benefit the most include education, healthcare, fintech and climate change amelioration. By 2030, 5G technology could contribute about $26-billion to the continent’s economy.

    Electricity crisis fuelling mobile power innovation
    With growing smartphone adoption, increasing sales of mobile devices, gadgets and wearable devices, consumers’ demand for power is growing. “At this point in time, smartphone-battery technology has not been able to keep up with the processing power required to drive today’s advanced smartphones. Add to this South Africa’s electricity crisis and it’s becoming critical for South Africans to find alternative power solutions to stay connected,” says Peffer. Smart solutions are fast filling the gap in the limited available supply of electricity, with innovations like solar panels for smartphone charging, power bricks that provide off-the-grid solutions for household devices and fast-charge mobile power banks for rent. It’s clear that the continent is on an upward trajectory in navigating power issues, while embracing the digital future of a mobile-first African economy.
    Keagan Peffer, CEO of Adoozy Power
    Keagan Peffer, CEO of Adoozy Power

    Biography

    Having worked as a Senior Software Analyst and Developer at Bidvest Tank Terminals and Microvision Software, Kegan Peffer used that strong background in software development and his knowledge of biometrics to found PayPrint, a biometric payments verification service, which was the first bitcoin payment transactions using biometrics. His second entrepreneurial venture is Africa’s first contactless mobile power bank rental network, Adoozy Power. Strategic partnerships with Sasol and Uber have enabled the expansion of Adoozy’s reach. The Adoozy INPowered initiative (aimed at tackling gender-based violence) won Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative South Africa, Global Business and Finance Magazine Awards 2023.


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