Africa – Most Promising Mobile Commerce Market?

Africa is an economically less developed continent in global comparison. According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, Africa is in the second lowest rank of the six continents (excluding Antarctica) by both total GDP and GDP per capita in 2021. With US$1,860 in 2021, GDP per capita on the African continent was less than one fourth of the Asian GDP per capita. Yet in some respects, Africa is likely underrated as a market, as comparisons by ecommerceDB and the Statista Digital Market Outlook show: In the next few years, eCommerce is projected to set foot on the African continent on a larger scale, with user numbers forecast to increase by more than 50% between 2021 and 2025. In terms of eCommerce user growth, Africa beats Europe, Australia, the Americas, and Asia. According to StatCounter, Africa also leads in another eCommerce-relevant topic:

Mobile internet usage has been on the rise globally, as smart devices become ever more practical and convenient for browsing the web on the go. Consequently, the share of mobile traffic in total internet traffic is in the higher double-digit percentages all over the world, as StatCounter data shows. In most world regions, more than half of all internet traffic comes via mobile devices – the global average is 57%. Europe and North America reach mobile penetration rates just below 50%. Oceania is furthest behind the global average, with only 40% of internet traffic coming from mobile devices. The global average is significantly raised by Asia – the international frontrunner in terms of digital trend adoption – and, surprisingly, the African continent. With 69% of all internet traffic in Africa resulting from access via a mobile device, Africa has the highest mobile penetration, even beating digitally literate Asia by almost 4 percentage points. A promising sign for eCommerce players trying to set foot in the mobile shopping market in Africa?