No fewer than 120 million Africans were active on Facebook as at June 2015, the social media company has announced.
The population grew 20% from 100 million in September 2014 to 120 million in June this year, said underscoring the growing trend of social networking on the continent.
According to Facebook, more than 80% of these African population access Facebook from their mobile phones. Now, 60% of all Internet users in Africa are active on Facebook.
Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have a total 16.6 million daily active users on the platform while the three countries have a total of 31.5 million monthly active users.
[blockquote right=”pull-right” cite=”Facebook”]“Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have a total 16.6 million daily active users on the platform while the three countries have a total of 31.5 million monthly active users.”[/blockquote]
Nunu Ntshingila, newly appointed Head of Africa at Facebook, says “at Facebook, we have a saying that we’re only 1% done, and this couldn’t be truer for Facebook in Africa. I’m only beginning this journey, and I’m already incredibly inspired by the power of connection –from the smallest moments to fostering global conversations. Everyone on Facebook has a story, and I can’t wait to hear the stories from Kenya and Nigeria firsthand.”
According to Ntshingila, “Mobile is not a trend; it’s the fastest adoption of disruptive technology in history of communication. It’s also an incredibly personal device regardless of where a person lives or how they connect, and businesses need to reach people where they are, not where they were, in an authentic, personal and relevant way. I look forward to spending time with businesses across Africa to understand how we can work together.”
Ntshingila says that Facebook recently opened its first office in Africa to further the company’s commitment to help businesses connect with people and grow locally and regionally. The Facebook African team will focus initially on Kenya (East Africa), Nigeria (West Africa) and South Africa (Southern Africa).
Ari Kesisoglu, Facebook’s Regional Director for MEA, says “we are committed to creating solutions tailored to people and businesses in Africa. We continue to spend time with businesses to learn about how we can work together to create better, more flexible and less fragmented ways for businesses to reach people in Africa.”
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