Harnessing Africa’s Digital Future Mobile Media and Business models

 Fastest growing mobile market: 2nd  Mobile ends digital divide  A25=91% of continent’s mobile users  Liberalisation of Telecoms= MNO dev  5 million employees  Highly competitive market  60% price drops in some markets  Cheap phones= low entry level  Roll out of infrastructure  Application of modern technologies= growth of African economies

 M-Agri  65% sub Saharan pop- subsistence farming  Vital Agri –information: Weather, diseases  Training and Advice: Farming practices  Market related info  M-Learning  Facilitate education & learning to remote areas  Cost of education +language & social barriers  On job training to professionals: Health care modules  Download from central database

 M- Banking  M-Pesa by Safaricom, e-wallet  Financial services to low income groups  Access to insurance, pension  Increase of bankers = stability in low income groups  M-Health  Data for disease surveillance  Remote diagnosis via telemedicine  Gathering and managing health info 4 Professionals  Coordinating medical drug distribution

Infrastructure & support Network Operators Handset Devices Distribution Content & services

 How will the Content and Services sector increase contribution??

 Generation X  Digital Immigrants: technology when supports lifestyle needs  Produce and share digital content  Generation Y   could be younger in some states  Digital natives: access, familiarity & digital fluency  Produce and share digital content  Behavioural changes: globalization, focus on experience, individualisation  Key to future growth  Analogue

 43% of population under 25, & growing 2 nd to asia  Mobile in Africa dominated by mobile PHONES  Changes in consumption patterns  They want:  Speed, multitask, graphics, random access-hypertext, networked,  Greater control over lifestyle choices & desire to belong  Little or no patience- short attention span  Consumption driven by ‘digital instant gratification’  Interactivity  Prosumers  Formats: Broadsheets suck  Relevance: Youth editorial advisory boards  Make it: Quick, Newsy & Useful

 Traditional models obsolete- can’t all be imported onto new platforms  Laws and regulations:  Media operates across jurisdictions  ICT Development agenda policies  Main techniques: advertising and subscription  Mobile Marketing- calls, txt, mms, sms, splash  Subs: Cell phone users accustomed to paying  Simple adaption: e-versions or m-versions- but low end phones?  Digital media measurement: formulating and revising strategies  Cultivation of exclusivity: innovative & diverse content  ‘Freemium’: Charge for some, have ‘benefits”, rewards  Content & Apps  Info products, location based products  Media: Content organising experts

UCT study

Undersea cables might increase availability Need to free up spectrum from 2G, 3G Terrestrial most expensive part

 Problem? Energy  Kenya Low end solar powered mobile phone

 The rest of the M-ecosystem is already repositioning itself...  Media need to get involved!