Mobile internet users exceed PC users
Dec 01 2008
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The number of South Africans who use their cellphones to access the internet now exceeds the number of those who rely on traditional desktop means of connecting to the World Wide Web. 

This is according to Rick Joubert, head of Mobile Advertising at Vodacom, who says South Africa has close to 9.5 million mobile internet users compared to the estimated 5 million desktop users.

Research from international cellphone browser company Opera Software shows that the number of mobile internet users in South Africa has increased by 92.6% between January and September 2008. They rank South Africa 6th in the global Top 10 for mobile internet usage, ahead of both the US (7th) and the UK (9th). Egypt (8th) is the only other African country to appear in the Top 10.

Africa's mobile phone industry is growing at nearly double the global rate.

"High mobile penetration rates compared to low PC penetration rates indicate that mobile will be the platform for the web in the future and with the web comes easy and equitable access to information," said Tetzchner.

Matthew Buckland, GM of publishing and social media at 24.com, concurs. Writing in his blog he says: "There is every indication that the gap [between mobile and PC] will grow bigger, given the reach and penetration rates of mobile phones, and the paradoxical situation whereby mobile internet access is amongst the world's cheapest here, yet traditional desktop internet access is among the world's most expensive."

Adapted from Source: www.sagoodnews.co.za, 28 November 2008