Social Media in South Africa
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012South Africans are welcoming social media as a core pillar of internet activity, along with email, news and banking. MXit albeit with a very specific section of the market utilizing it remains the most popular social network in South Africa. If we look at trends of social media growth in South Africa there is a direct correlation to that of the last couple of years in Western countries. This translating to a similar ‘teething’ process involving some of the same key social platforms. South Africa’s most popular social arenas that have seen the greatest increase in growth and popularity are MXit, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Now whilst MXit has settled in and grown roots with the younger generation, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are seeing similar patterns to that of Western Countries not so long ago. Does this mean we can expect similar results in time to come? Is social media going to grow to a level where it becomes not only a strong part of, but essential to the success of, almost any marketing/communications campaign?
As business owners, social media strategists and entrepreneurs to mention but a few, we are right now at this very moment faced with an opportunity. We are globally, not just in South Africa, on the cusp of something very exciting and it is going to be an industry shaping journey.
A look at the Platforms
MXit has over 10 million South African users of which no less than 76% are male and 73% of female users are aged 18 or over. Facebook with 4.1 million is up front with MXit when it comes to popularity and user numbers. However, Twitter has seen the most dramatic growth in social networking this last year.
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was the fastest growing network in the second half of 2011 and continues to be a massive growth channel as a form of communication today in South Africa. These are among the key findings of a study released by Fuseware and World Wide Worx, entitled South African Social Media Landscape 2011.
Facebook has 4.1 million South African profiles registered, of this number 2.6 million access purely through their mobile phones. With 2.5 million active users every month there is a mind-blowing average of 310 years spent on the platform each and every day.
A surprising finding emerged from analysis of Facebook data. Of about 4.1 million Facebook users in South Africa by August 2011, only 3.2 million had visited the site in the year-to-date. This could be due to a mixture of dummy accounts and low end users. “This is partly a factor of many users moving on once the novelty of the site had worn off, as well as a result of the fickle nature of the youth market,” Wronski said. “Once BBM picked up significant traction in private schools, for example, many teenagers who had previously flocked to Facebook, opted for BBM’s greater immediacy.”
From a commercial perspective Facebook is one the toughest platform to establish a quality community of Fans. Facebook can be described as a comfortable space where individuals post their personal pictures, interests and stories. They are less impulsive and more ‘choosy’ about who they Like and spend their time with. Social takes time to establish, but once a qualified community is built it is a powerful tool for any brand to have in their arsenal.
via: http://ow.ly/8KHR
An analysis of Fuseware’s extensive database of Twitter usage, in conjunction with World Wide Worx’s consumer market research, shows that there were 1.1 million users in South Africa in mid-2011. This is a twentyfold increase in a little more than a year.
Over 80% of the population that are online use Twitter, of that number 40% are ‘active tweeters’, with an estimated 40% just observing.
With the increase of availability of internet accessing phones the popularity and usage of social networks is expected to continue growing exponentially. Whilst South Africa’s internet penetration rate is comparatively low the social media usage is extremely high, so high in fact that it is the second most ‘social’ country in the world, just after Indonesia.
While LinkedIn, aimed at professional users, also reached the 1.1 million mark, it came off a far higher base – but still saw 83% growth of South African users from 2010 to 2011. Of these, 112,000 are business owners.
With over 2 million active monthly users in South Africa alone the consumption of media on this platform is substantial. Whether for simply sharing funny and family videos or as part of a commercial campaign YouTube is without a doubt an arena that is embraced for creative media consumption. For commercial purposes it can be a powerful part of any campaign encouraging engagement and driving traffic with ‘juicy’ content that can easily go viral.
A social future for South Africa?
Consumer research analysed in the Fuseware report revealed that future intention of usage of most social networks is strongly related to age. The younger the user, the greater the intention of usage. “This is only one of many micro-trends shaping social networking,” Goldstuck said. “MXit, Facebook and BBM statistics illustrate, for example, that as social networks become more mainstream, their penetration within all age ranges deepens.’
“This, in turn, will result in the continual flattening of the age curve as social networks mature.”
Users who are now seasoned at interacting with social networks will start to use fewer channels and less often. From a commercial perspective it is becoming increasingly important for brands to understand the effectiveness of specific platforms and how to engage with communities correctly. Brands must interact in an open and implicit manor posting relevant and useful content in order to sustain engagement.
As social media matures and online brand management becomes more sophisticated, there will be a surge in the development of local skills. Advertising and PR graduates will be expected to understand how to effectively use social networks.
There is no question in my mind that the popularity and use of social media platforms is only going to increase. Business in South Africa is beginning to embrace and utilize these platforms for amplification of their messages, products and services.
I watch with hungry eyes and eager fingers hovering excitedly over my keyboard as we move forward into this new and exciting time. Social media has aquired its visa, we have welcomed it in and given it living space on our computers. It is here to stay and will enhance our online experience in both private and commercial sectors substantially.
Let’s be part of the avant guard folks. Social media is going places and I want you to come with me. Grab on and let’s all have a hand in shaping the future.
What an exciting adventure….!
What is your experience of social media? Where do you see it going? If you have and comments or queries I could love to hear from you!
The pope himself endorsed social media in January of this year, read all about it right here.
