How Mobile Will Drive Commerce in Africa

Today saw the first Mama Africa Mobile and data marketing conference taking place in Africa, hosted in Johannesburg. The event is focussed on the growing power of mobile marketing across Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA), with the goal of providing mobile marketing insights and discussions across the marketing industry.

Africa Is a massive mobile first market with the youngest global market that are completely mobile native with the mobile phone not just playing the role of a social connection technology but one where the mobile phone, due to lack of other infrastructure, plays a key role in almost every aspect of society, healthcare, business, banking, education, entertainment and communication.

This is reflected in the statistic that while the average global mobile screen time per day is 3 hours and 46 minutes, in South Africa this is as high as 5 hours and 11 minutes with Ghana cracking the highest global average with over six hours screen time a day.

How Big Is Mobile in SSA?

Netta Lev Sadeh, the Managing Director of AppsFlyer EMEA, provided context to this.

• Smartphone penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa has grown from 51% in 2023 to 81% in 2025
• Mobile commerce in 2025 is projected to hit $170 billion in 2025 – up from $140 in 2023
• 4G Connectivity has reached 50% of the market with 17% having access to 5G connectivity
• The market is young and vibrant and tech savvy with 70% of the population under 30

Mobile Not a Device – Its Life

This is an unbelievably big market that does not simply see mobile devices as Mobile device, It’s a lifeline for many and also presents an incredible marketing opportunity.

Half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa has smartphones, but according to Sadeh, by 2030, it’s going to be 80%, making Sub-Saharan Africa the largest mobile transformation region globally.

“Nearly all internet users, over 16, already have smartphones, more smartphones, and more rich means more opportunity for the mobile economy ” . “It’s huge. But it’s not just about devices. Connectivity is”, says Sadeh.

Super Apps Downloads and Finance Chanels the Future of Mobile

South Africa and Nigeria saw the highest number of app downloads in 2024, over one billion each. But Kenya and Ghana are also growing rapidly. In 2025, downloads are up by 7% in Kenya and 5% in Ghana.

The wave of app usage is building across the region as mobile connectivity mushrooms, however growth is not the only story. There are three other forces shaping the future of commerce in Africa:

• One, embedded finance. From mobile wallets to various services, Africa is redefining how people access financial services.
• Two, super app are gaining ground fast, and by 2028, they will account for 25% of all digital transactions on the continent. 25% of the digital transactions.
• And third, trust and security- As digital activity rises, so do concerns and according to Sadeh building trust is no longer optional It has become a major competitive advantage.

“And these are not just trends, these are market-shifting forces” claims Netta Sadeh

Customer Retention is the Mobile Marketing Holy Grail

Getting customers is one thing. Getting the right customers, that’s the real challenge, the ability to track and serve the right messages at the right time to ensure client retention and keep bringing them back.

Retention, re-engagement, and real lifetime value are the key metrics behind successful mobile marketing according to Sadeh. “What are smart marketers doing to unlock that and not tossing budget out of the window? They are doubling down on re-marketing” she states.

And according to recent data, South African businesses are betting big on re-marketing, with a 48% increase in Android re-marketing campaigns year over year, and in Finance apps, there has been a 97% increase in re-marketing.

“Businesses are bargaining on recurring usage, customer value, and long-term retention. And customers are worth more the second time around”, says Sadeh. “So if you thought that this is just a nice web, think again. Because while some of you are hesitating, others are already all in. And when I say others, I mean China with 95% of re-marketing campaigns in South Africa are from China. It’s huge. And it tells us two things. One, this is not just a local opportunity”.

“And two, big players and spenders are fighting to win your market. And if they’re here, and they are doubling down on re-marketing and re-engagement and long-term value, then the message is clear. You should do too”, Sadeh Concludes.