The mobile
internet sector in Africa is developing rapidly, with smartphones becoming much
more affordable and growing in popularity. Jumia has taken advantage of this
with a mobile app that allows an increasing number of Africans to access the
e-commerce platform wherever they are.
The number
of mobile subscriptions in Africa has risen rapidly in recent years, from fewer
than 25 million in 2001 to over 720 million in 2012. Moreover, many activities
that would be carried out on a laptop or PC in Western countries, such as
online banking or shopping, are done on mobile phones in Africa. In fact,
according to a report published in June 2014 by the Swedish technology company
Ericsson, 70% of internet users in the countries evaluated use mobile phones to
go online, compared with just 6% who use a desktop computer. This is because
mobile phones are now available cheaply across the continent, with
low-specification internet-capable phones available for as little as £12 ($20).
Jumia’s
Android app was launched one year ago to take advantage of the continent’s
growing mobile internet penetration. According to the company, the app offers
all the functionality of the Jumia website, keeping in mind the fact that for
many users this will be their main way of interacting with the service, and
prides itself on usability. To this end, users can browse and filter the
complete list of products, read product descriptions and reviews, and order and
pay securely through the app, with no need for a PC at any point.
The app
has now been selected to be featured in the Our Favourites section of the
Google Play store, which reflects its usefulness, quality and popularity. It
has already been downloaded over 100,000 times, a clear indication of the
demand for mobile applications in Africa, and is complemented by a
recently-launched Windows 8 app so that as many Africans as possible can
benefit from the service. Nicholas Martin, CEO for Jumia
Nigeria, commented: “We want to provide the best and most convenient
service for Jumia customers, and our app is a great way of doing this. We’ve
has thousands of satisfied customers so far, and expect many more in the coming
months and years.”
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