Digital channels have limitless reach and engagement. They’re crucial in a country where 40 million people -- 75% of the population -- are online. Kenya remains leader in mobile internet in Africa, and has one of the best quality internet in the region where most people 3G and 4G.
The number of active mobile subscriptions in the country currently stands at 49.5 million. These numbers translate to a mobile penetration level of 106.2%. The penetration level of more than 100 per cent is attributed to the multiple SIM cards ownership in the country. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in its report 2018 indicated that at least 30% of Kenyans owned more than one
SIM card. Internet subscriptions in the country have grown immensely since 2014 with the highest growth (more than 10%) of subscribers being between 2017 and 2018.
Kenyans are always-on, and spend an average of 6 hours on the internet everyday. If there’s one way to reach them, it would be most definitely through digital channels.
3G network coverage across the country has increased from 67 per cent in 2014 to 85 per cent in 2017, with a bigger proliferation of 4G, now reaching more than a third of the population.
The cost of smartphone has also gone down, with that the average amount spent to purchase a smartphone reducing to Sh8,600 in 2018 from Sh18,600 in 2014.
The country recently overtook Nigeria to be the global leader in mobile internet, with a mobile internet penetration of 83 per cent. Amongst internet users, Facebook and WhatsApp are the most used internet platforms with over 70% mentions in 2018 and 2019.
These high figures could be attributed to the fact that these two services are offered for free by the telecommunications providers. YouTube and Instagram also have notable mentions. Approximately a third of internet users indicate that they use Twitter.
Kenya is the mobile internet capital of the world. Need we say more?
Indeed, the internet is a noteworthy factor influencing the supply and demand of media in Kenya. The number of mobile internet users has recorded enormous growth over the last five years. Growth in data subscribers could be attributed to the massive investments by mobile operators and Internet Service Providers into base stations and the last mile fibre optic transmission links to support the increasing bandwidth demand in the country.
As a result, Kenyans are using their mobile phones data services to access radio, TV and print content on-demand. The internet also facilitates on-demand access to content, anytime, anywhere on any digital device and has resulted in what is now referred to as the democratization of information.