Swahili content explodes Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda mobile growth
According to the Mobile Economy Report 2019, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have seen a significant growth in mobile content in Swahili. The number of mobile apps in the language increased from around 5,000 in 2014 to almost 30,000 by 2017. This translates to mean that more people are able to access useful services on mobile because it is in the language they can read and understand.
Kenya alone saw a 16% growth in mobile internet adoption from 2014 to 2017 with over 4 million new users. According to the report, apart from the Swahili content factor, the growth was also supported by good performance in two enablers: infrastructure and affordability.
About author
DW Team
The GIP Digital Watch Observatory team, consisting of over 30 digital policy experts from around the world, excels in the fields of research and analysis on digital policy issues. The team is backed by the creative prowess of Creative Lab Diplo and the technical expertise of the Diplo tech team.