What is the most popular smartphone brand in South Africa?

Samsung has won the title hands down this year.  They received 40% of the votes for being the best smartphone brand for 2017.  This is according to the South Africa Mobile Report for 2017.

According to the report, which conducted various surveys among 4993 South African mobile internet users, the stats prove that Samsung is a tough brand to compete with.

Here Are The Findings:
When it comes to best smartphone brands, Samsung is sitting pretty at 40% of all users. Apple surprisingly only makes up a measly 10% with Huawei following with 9% and the rest trailing behind.

But What About Cell Phone Networks?
Vodacom is still streets ahead at 53% of all users. MTN is next with 30% of all users and then Cell C on 12%, Telkom at 4% and other providers at 2% respectively.

These are the most popular activities that people use their phones for:

1. Making calls – 59%
2. Receiving calls – 44%
3. Accessing the internet – 40%
4. Accessing applications – 21%
5. Sending and receiving SMS’s – 15%
6. Sending ‘Please Call Me’ Messages – 3%

Other Interesting Results From The Report:

Did you know that…

• 83% of smartphone users communicate with people via Whatsapp, with 51% of users still making use of SMS;
• 63% of users are on contract packages with various network providers, with only 37% users still on prepaid;
• People are still finding it difficult to complete online sales, as 48% of people prefer to noy make online purchases using a mobile phone;
• Lying in bed is the most common place that people are using their smart phone. According to the survey, 44% of people check their phones while they are in bed;
• As of 2016, over 70% of the South African population browsed the web on their mobile. This surely means that the South Africa digital divide is slowly lessening. More and more people are able to access mobile devices, including smartphones.

In Other News:
According to the Mobile Economy 2017, Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly a tenth of the global mobile subscriber base. This region is expected to grow faster than any other place in the world when it comes to mobile subscription in the next five years.

Mobile Economy 2017 highlights the importance and impact that mobile devices have on a community, and essentially the world.

By 2020, 60% of the world will have access to mobile broadband. This will create global digital inclusion among members of society. In turn, this will increase employment by providing people with the resources in order to be able to access the internet at a click of a button.

Not only will mobile broadband become more accessible, but by 2020 there will be over 498 million smartphones worldwide!

In just a few years, there will be a whole new world out there for people who previously,  were not given the opportunity to have access to smartphones and essentially, the World Wide Web.

It’s up to us to make use of the resources we have available to us- if our mobile network provider hasn’t taken all our data…

Contributed by Melissa Cohen, CompareGuru.