South African
Mobile Report
A Survey of Desktop User’s Attitudes and
Uses of Mobile Phones
February 2016
In partnership with:

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 1
OVERVIEW
Effective Measure, a leading provider of digital audience, brand and
advertising measurement, surveyed 2,299 mobile Internet users in
South Africa (between November and December, 2015). Topics
covered a range of areas including but not limited to users’
manufacturer preference, time on device, use of device and internet
usage. The survey was conducted across smartphones and feature
phones to highlight the differences in user consumption across the
two types of mobile Internet connections.

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 2
KEY FINDINGS
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Samsung is still the dominant manufacturer in South
Africa with 41% market share, while 27% reported
using “other” brands than the established manufacturers.
32% of respondents spend more than 3 hours a day
on their devices, with 19% saying they spend more
than 5 hours on their devices.
84% of respondents have knowingly accessed the
internet on their devices in the last 24 hours, while only
3% said they haven’t at all recently.
More respondents say they use their devices for
accessing the internet (64%) and making calls (57%),
while only 20% say they use their device mostly for
sending and receiving SMSes.
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89% of respondents said they make searches based on
location, with 37% saying they ‘almost always do.’
Most common uses of devices are for search,
email, social and instant messaging, while the least
are making payments and playing games.
60% of respondents say that they download apps.
83% of respondents admit to using internet on
their devices while watching TV in the last 30 days,
with 71% saying they do as soon as they wake up.
39% admit to using the internet on their devices
while they are in the bathroom, and 12% admit to
doing so while driving.
The main reasons for clicking on a mobile ad are
relevance, trusting the brand and its safety, and that
it is interesting or engaging.
The least important factors for clicking on an ad
are - they see it often, that it has a video clip
in it, or that it was demonstrating something.
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42% of respondents said that they are similar to
people who are comfortable with technology, while
19% say they are not.

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015 PAGE 3
MANUFACTURER
Samsung is still the dominant manufacturer in South
Africa with 42% market share, while 27% reporting using
“other” brands than the established manufacturers.
42% Samsung
6% Apple
13% Blackberry
1% HTC
2% LG
5% Sony Ericsson
27% Other
4% Nokia
DEVICE USE
32% of respondents spend more than 3 hours a day
on their devices, with 19% saying they spend more
than 5 hours on their devices.
MAKE OF MOBILE
PHONE BEING USED
AVERAGE TIME SPENT ON MOBILE DEVICES
under 30
minutes
between 30
and 60
minutes
between
1 and 2 hours
between
2 and 3 hours
between
3 and 5 hours
more than
5 hours
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Smart Devices
Feature

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 4
INTERNET ACCESS
USING DEVICE
84% of respondents have
knowingly accessed the
internet on their devices in
the last 24 hours, while only
3% said they haven’t at all
recently.
DEVICE USES
More respondents say they
use their devices for
accessing the internet (64%)
and making calls (57%),
while only 20% say they use
their device mostly for sending
and receiving SMSes.
2 MAIN USES OF MOBILE DEVICE
accessing
applications
accessing
the internet
making calls receiving
calls
sending and
receiving SMSes
sending
‘please call
me’ messages
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Smart Devices Feature Phones
84% Yesterday
9% Past 7 days
3% Past 4 weeks
3% Longer ago
1% 4-12 months ago
70%
LAST ACCESS OF
INTERNET FROM
MOBILE DEVICE

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 5
MOBILE PHONE USEAGE
banking downloading
apps
downloading
music
instant
messaging
making
purchases
and
payments
playing
games
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Smart Device
Feature Phone
70%
80%
90%
email reading
articles
search on
google
social
networking
watching
videos
online
DEVICE USES
Most common uses of devices are for search, email, social and instant messaging,
while the least are making payments and playing games.
60% of respondents say that they download apps.

M SEARCHES USING DEVICE
89% of respondents said they make
searches based on location, with 37%
saying they ‘almost always do.’
TECH SAVVY
42% of respondents said that they are
similar to people who are comfortable with
technology, while 19% say they are not.
Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 6
FREQUENCY OF
LOCATION-BASED
MOBILE SEARCHES
SIMILARITY TO PEOPLE
AT EASE WITH COMPUTERS,
CELL PHONES, AND NEW
TECHNOLOGY
11% Almost never
27% Frequently
37% Almost always
25% Every
now and then
42% Very similar
39% Quite similar
16% Not
too similar
3% Not at all

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 7
TIME OF USE OF
SMART DEVICES
in bed as soon as
I wake up
while
driving
when
being
driven
at school/
varsity
at work
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
during
a meal
in the
bathroom
while
watching
TV
when I am
in a wi-fi
area
TIME OF USE
83% of respondents admit to using internet on their devices while watching TV in the last 30
days, with 71% saying they do as soon as they wake up.
39% admit to using the internet on their devices while they are in the bathroom, and 12%
admit to doing so while driving. Smart Device

Source: Effective Measure, Nov-Dec 2015www.effectivemeasure.com PAGE 8
REASONS FOR ENGAGING
WITH A MOBILE AD
if I knew
and trusted
the brand
if I saw
it often
if it was
different
if it had
a video
clip
if I was
offered a
special
deal
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Smart Device
Feature Phone
70%
if I knew
it was
safe
if it was
funny
if it was
interesting
or
engaging
if it was
on a
website
I trusted
if it was
relevant
to me
The main reasons for clicking on a mobile ad are relevance, trusting the brand
and its safety, and that it is interesting or engaging.
The least important factors are because they see it often, that it has a video clip
in it, or that it was demonstrating something.
CLICKING ON ADVERTISEMENTS
if it had a
demonstration

Effective Measure is a leading provider of digital audience, brand and
advertising effectiveness measurement and targeting solutions, bringing
best practice online measurement data to premium publishers, agencies,
networks, advertisers and researchers. The EM solutions offer brands, media
and agencies invested in Oceania, Europe, Southeast Asia, Middle East North
Africa and South Africa, a clear insight into their online audience and the
ever-growing Internet population. www.effectivemeasure.com.
ABOUT EFFECTIVE MEASURE
Unique Browser
Based on the number of browser types accessing the site.
Smartphone
A mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically
having a touchscreen interface, Internet access, and an operating system
capable of running downloaded apps.
Feature Phone
A mobile phone that incorporates features such as the ability to access the
Internet and store and play music but lacks the advanced functionality of a
smartphone.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
This survey was conducted in November and December 2015. The sample was
2039 smartphone respondents and 260 feature phone respondents.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The Interactive Advertising Bureau South Africa, formerly the DMMA, is an
independent, voluntary, non-profit association focused on growing and
sustaining a vibrant and profitable digital industry within South Africa. The
IAB South Africa represents the digital industry across all sectors including the
media, the marketing community, government and the public, and also acts as
the channel through which international bodies can enter the South African
digital market. The IAB South Africa currently represents over 96 local online
publishers and over 93 creative, media and digital agencies, between them
accounting for more than 16 million local unique browsers and 440 million page
impressions. The IAB South Africa strives to provide members with a platform
through which they can engage, interact and address digital issues of common
interest, thereby stimulating learning and commerce within the South African
digital space.
To find out more about the IAB South Africa, visit the website www.dmma.co.za,
Like them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thedmma or follow @iab_sa
on Twitter.
ABOUT THE IAB SOUTH AFRICA
PAGE 9
Established in 1996, Silverstone is an award-winning Creative Interactive
Solutions group with international credentials in the development of online and
mobile communications, marketing and business solutions. Silverstone helps
brands and organisations to connect and engage with their audiences across
mobile, social and digital channels.
ABOUT SILVERSTONE CIS
The MMA is the world's leading global non-profit trade association comprised
of more than 800 member companies, from nearly fifty countries around the
world. MMA Member companies hail from every faction of the mobile media
ecosystem. Our consortium includes brand marketers, agencies, enabling
technologies, media companies and others. The MMA's mission is to accelerate
the transformation and innovation of marketing through mobile, driving business
growth with closer and stronger consumer engagement. www.mmasa.org
ABOUT MMA
THANKS
We would like to thank the participating Publishers who kindly contributed their
valuable mobile inventory to allow us to run this research on feature phone devices.