As athletes complete their final preparations for Paris 2024, GeoPoll, in collaboration with mediaReach OMD, conducted a survey to assess public perceptions around the games. The study was conducted using GeoPoll’s mobile web platform, surveying more than 2,250 respondents in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Topics covered include awareness of the games, interest, viewing intentions, favorite events, media consumption habits, betting trends, and perceptions of the event’s cultural and social impact.

The findings reveal a robust interest among Africans for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a significant percentage rating their interest at the highest level.

Key Findings

• General Interest: Across countries, most rate their interest in the games as very interested (37%) or extremely interested (24%), and 93% said they intend to watch the games.
• Favorite Sports: Football stands out as the event respondents are most interested in watching – particularly in Ghana (57%) and Nigeria (56%). Other highly anticipated events include athletics (31%), swimming (21%), basketball (18%), and boxing (15%).
• Favorite Programming: The majority of respondents intend to watch the opening ceremonies (55%), and 64% say they prefer to watch their favorite events in their entirety rather than just tuning in for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
• Viewership: TV remains the device of choice for watching the games (80%). However, 60% of respondents also plan to follow the games on their mobile phone. The incidence increases to 72% in Nigeria.
• Viewing Times: Viewership is projected to increase throughout the day, with respondents saying they are most likely to watch in the evening from 6pm to 11pm (55%).
• Anticipated Category Behavior: The survey also identified opportunities for brands, as viewers intend to upgrade data plans, socialize with friends, engage in sports betting, and consume soft drinks and alcohol, among other activities.

50% plan to engage in betting on the Olympics

The perceived importance of the Olympics goes beyond Paris or the final medal count. From this study, 72% respondents believe the Olympics has a cultural and social impact in their countries. These findings underscore the immense enthusiasm Africans have for the Olympics and the wide array of sports that will captivate audiences worldwide.

For a more detailed report with insights, please visit the OMD Consumer Intelligence Platform or download the report here: https://www.mediareachomd.com/olympicsreport

About This Survey

GeoPoll conducted this survey, in collaboration with mediaReach OMD, using its proprietary mobile web research platform. The survey reached 2,261 respondents, leveraging GeoPoll Audience Measurement (GAM) panels in Kenya and Tanzania, and The OMD Consumer Intelligence (OCI) panel in Ghana and Nigeria.

Data collection occurred from 31 May to 16 June, 2024. The survey was offered in English in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, and in English and Swahili in Tanzania.

The diverse sample for the study includes a gender composition of 66% male and 34% female, and an age breakdown of 12% ages 18-24, 55% ages 25-34, and 33% ages 35 and older.

For more information on the sample and methodology for this study or to conduct a research study of your own in Africa or around the world, contact GeoPoll today.

For more information about mediaReach OMD and its services, please visit www.mediareachomd.com.

The post GeoPoll 2024 Paris Olympics Survey: Insights for Brands and Stakeholders appeared first on GeoPoll.

Online Streaming in Africa Q&A

GeoPoll: How has streaming impacted the TV and media market in Sub Saharan Africa in the past few years?

Kwesé iflix CEO, Mayur Patel: The future of TV is the internet and the home of the internet in Africa is mobile. More than 80% of broadband in Africa is accessed via smartphones and tablets, mobile devices are the place where consumers in our markets will increasingly connect with the content they love. Many of our users in the region have bypassed traditional linear broadcast TV, and their first experience of TV is on their mobile phone.

Entertainment producers are now partnering with mobile streaming services in order to access the growing market of mobile savvy consumers. We are now witnessing short form content being made solely for mobile users, along with streaming entertainment services gaining the rights to first time exclusives. People are also starting to consume live TV coverage, sport and entertainment, on their phones.

GP: What are some unique challenges of implementing streaming solutions in Africa?

MP: Some of the challenges our users face include the affordability of mobile data, storage capacity on their phones and the accessibility of subscription payment options. To help with this we formed partnerships with Africa’s leading mobile operators across our markets, from Nigeria to Zimbabwe. We have worked closely with them to create affordable video data bundles specifically for the Kwese iflix app, often with off-peak access, making it easier for our users to watch content on the go. For example, in Kenya during the World Cup, we partnered with Safaricom to launch the Giga Football Passes that gave users 24 hours unlimited data access to the Kwesé iflix app for less than a dollar.

To address storage capacity on people’s devices, we gave our users the choice to download content in three qualities – low, medium or high – so that they can decide what’s best for them. This allows users to download content at a small file size when using public WiFi and watch it at any point over the next 30 days.

On the payment side, we offer flexible options for users to access our full content catalogue. Individuals can buy a 1 day, 3 day, 7 day or 30 day VIP pass to suit everyone’s pockets. Users are used to buying data packs like this as opposed to having a rolling 30 day subscription. The result has been unprecedented growth in customer engagement.

GP: Where do you see streaming and on demand video moving in the next 2-5 years?

MP: In the next five years, mobile TV will be ubiquitous. The trends indicate that data costs in the region will decrease and it is likely that affordable uncapped data options will be more common for video consumption. With this shift, there will be an even greater influx of customers seeking out streaming services to suit their entertainment needs.

To stay ahead of the content game, Kwesé iflix has expanded on the traditional video-on-demand model and introduced new, engaging live, localised programming and features, targeting both mass market users and younger digital-savvy demographic groups.

User data reveals that local audiences have a strong preference for local content. To cater to this demand, we have increased the acquisition and commissioning of local content. We are excited to announce our Kwesé iflix Originals for East and West Africa which will premiere on the app in the coming months.

GP: Under the pay TV rights for the 2018 World Cup, your subscribers in various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa also had the option of streaming the matches, tell us more about this service, how it works, who it was targeted at and what the impact was on football fans in the continent

MP: Kwesé iflix made all 64 FIFA 2018 World Cup matches available live to millions of football fans throughout Africa on our mobile app.

Africa as a whole has the most engaged football fan base in the world, with over three quarters of the population interested in the sport. We wanted to democratise viewing of the sport people love, and give everyone who has access to the internet the ability to live stream games and enjoy post-match wrap ups, all on-the-go and on their terms. We also made all games featuring African teams, the final match and all the highlights of the games available for free.

The user reception amongst each of our markets has been extremely positive, indicting to us that we are on the right track with our live sport content and entertainment roll out. Consumers are embracing the combination of live sport and entertainment, all in one app. This was the first time that all the world cup matches were available on mobile in Africa and we hope to have set the bar for more great firsts to come in our markets.

GP: Was the engagement with streaming services during the World Cup higher or lower than you would have expected?

MP: In terms of scale – this was the single largest live mobile streaming event ever to take place in our markets over 30 days, and it took place on the Kwese iflix platform. We are grateful to the support from our partners and the users across our markets who selected Kwese iflix as their home for the best sport action.

By offering our fans unparalleled access to the games on their mobile device we saw more than 100 million minutes streamed throughout the World Cup. The Kwesé iflix app rapidly became the leading mobile sport and entertainment service in many of our markets.

GP: What are the biggest areas of opportunity for streaming services – live sports matches, news programming, entertainment, or something else?

MP: At Kwesé iflix we see the biggest opportunities in creating a complete mobile TV experience for our users – combining thousands of hours of top quality international and local movies and TV shows with premium live sporting events, news programming, kids entertainment, along with original content that resonates with the audience. We are the first app in Africa to provide mobile customers with standalone access to on-demand content, and a unique live sport and entertainment content offering via our live hub feature. This includes the largest pan-African linear local free-to-air and pay TV channels for mobile devices. We believe that opportunity lies in diversity and options for all.

For more information on Kwese iflix, please contact:

KATHRYN MECHIE

Regional PR & Communications Manager AFRICA

m (+27) 0711382253

e [email protected]

The post The Future of Online Streaming & On Demand Video in Africa, Our Chat With Kwese Iflix CEO appeared first on GeoPoll.

Internet usage continues to grow, in large part due to increased smartphone penetration in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. As at March 2017, Nigeria has the highest number of internet users in Africa at 91.88 million, with 81 percent generated via smart phones. GSMA predicts that, in 2020, there will be more than 700 million smartphone connections in Africa.

In our previous segment in this series, we sought to understand perceptions of free speech as it relates to social media through a straw poll survey among 4,213 youth in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. Read the report here.

In this segment, we explore insights into internet access, the role of the internet, and digital security among these same youth.

Data Costs & Affordability

Data costs continue to be a barrier to internet access for most Africans. Among countries surveyed, a majority of respondents in South Africa find the price of internet to be expensive (58%). A majority of Ghanaians (54%) also find their data costs high. More than half (52%) of respondents indicate that the cost of data in their county was affordable. However, 40 percent find the cost of internet data to be expensive.

South Africa has the lowest cost internet among the surveyed countries. Despite the lowest data cost compared to the other countries in the poll most South Africans feel that the cost is still quite high.

Youth on Social Media

Mobile data continues to be the most used means by which African millennials access the internet. In February 2017, GeoPoll conducted a rapid poll on mobile usage and media consumption: social network platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter form an integral part of everyday life with over 60 percent using social media as their primary source of information. Television comes a distant second at 25 percent, with newspapers being the least important source (6%).

Among the 4,213 respondents from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, 17 percent (one in five) of respondents indicate they post more than 20 times a week on social media. Ten percent said they posted to social media between 11 and 20 times; 28 percent post 6 to 10 times per week; and 45 percent post less than 5 times per week.

 Internet Access & Net Neutrality 

There are ongoing projects by Facebook and Google to provide free internet through initiatives such as Free Basics and Loon, respectively. We sought sentiments on access to internet and awareness of these initiatives.

In response to “Do you agree with this statement: ‘some form of internet is better than no internet at all’ 1) I completely agree 2) I somewhat agree 3) I disagree 4) I strongly disagree,” most respondents (55 percent) completely agreed with the statement.

With regard to internet access initiatives, GeoPoll found that the program with the largest awareness is Free Basics with 74 percent, followed by Project Loon by Google (25%). In Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, Free Basics has the highest awareness.

Digital Security 

GeoPoll found that 38 percent of respondents have used a digital security software before while 62 percent have not. Most South African respondents indicated using multiple types of digital security software at 42 percent when compared to other countries. Uganda has the highest number of users who have used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in the past.  Antivirus software is the most known and widely used form of Digital security software among youth in the polled countries. There is still low awareness and usage of any other forms of Digital security software.

About GeoPoll Straw Polls

GeoPoll is the world’s largest real-time mobile survey platform, reaching a growing network of more than 320 million users in 31 countries worldwide on a deeply granular level and at unprecedented scale. Through partnerships with telecom providers—and a multimodal platform powered by text, voice and web-based communications—GeoPoll enables organizations to gather quick, accurate and in-depth insights on anything from consumer preferences to access to basic government services.

GeoPoll leverages its platform to engage mobile users through ad hoc “straw polls” that provide insights into real-time sentiments of current events. This GeoPoll rapid survey was conducted in April 2017 among 4,213 youth in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda using the GeoPoll mobile application.

Straw Poll Specs

• Countries surveyed: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda
• Language: English
• Mode: GeoPoll App
• Questionnaire length: 22 questions
• Median survey completion time: 20 minutes

The post African Millennials on Internet Access, Neutrality & Digital Security appeared first on GeoPoll.

As detailed in our earlier reports on the African Millennials series, Africa has the highest youth population in the world with 200 million people aged between the ages of 15-24. The current trend indicates that this figure will double by 2045, according to the 2012 African Economic Outlook report prepared by experts from the African Development Bank (AfDB)

Millennials across the world are defined by their uptake of technology. Affinity to technology by millennials world-wide and specifically so in the west is a study that is currently ongoing and continues to be a fascinating undertaking especially in regards to the African Millennials.

In our continuing series on Sub Sahara African Millennials, we sought to understand this affinity towards technology and more specifically, mobile technology among African Millennials.

Despite lack of access to smartphones and reliable internet connectivity, the level of uptake and penetration in Africa has hit major milestones in the last 5 years.  According to a report published by GSMA on Africa’s mobile economy in 2016, smartphone adoption in Africa has doubled in two years. Among Sub-Sahara African countries, South Africa has the highest number of smartphone subscribers at 34% followed by Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya.

Media Consumption

Like their global counterparts, African millennials are increasingly using download sites to access video entertainment and social media sites as tools for communication and a source of news and information. Mobile data continues to be the most used means through which African millennials access the internet. Social network platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and twitter have become an integral part of everyday life with over 60% using social media as their primary source of information. Television comes a distant 2^nd at 25% with newspapers being the least important source 6%.

The second screen phenomenon though not highly prevalent among African Millennials, is one that might change with time. 57% of African Millennials say they sometimes use their smartphone while watching TV, 35% said they are always on their phone. This can be attributed to data costs which are still relatively high in many African countries compared to the rest of the world as well as changing preference among this group on choice of entertainment.

Access to video entertainment among African Millennials is undergoing a significant shift.  There is decreased demand for bootleg DVDs generally across the countries that took part in the survey except in Ghana. According to the survey, more millennials in Africa are accessing their movies and TV series entertainment through online downloads. They spend the least time in the cinemas compared to the other ways of accessing video entertainment selected for the survey. Subscriptions to online video streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Showmax are still relatively low with a majority indicating that they do not use these services. Out of those who indicated that they are using it, Netflix is the most popular.

Usage Habits

When it comes to the most preferred mode of communication among millennials, Kenyan and Tanzanian Millennials prefer texting (62%) & (54%) whilst Nigerians and Ghanaians prefer calling through the mobile operator (58%) & (51%). Mobile data calls through WhatsApp and Facebook messenger are still not as widely used.

The use of social media platforms such as has become second nature to African Millennials’ lives; WhatsApp and Facebook rank among the platforms with the most usage. 56% have created and are most active on WhatsApp  , while 31% are active on Facebook. Not only do African millennials spend more time on their smartphones than on any other gadget on a daily basis, but they are also more likely to be on WhatsApp chatting. A majority (46%) are actively engaged daily in at least 1-3 WhatsApp groups.

Part of this study was to determine whether or not Sub-Sahara African millennials are addicted to their phones with typical signs of addiction being how often they use their phones, if they took their phones with them to the bathroom, where they placed their phones while sleeping, and if they walk around with a power bank. Whilst this survey does not serve as a psychiatric evaluation, 81% said they place their phone next to their bed while sleeping, 48% carry their phones with them to the washroom and 31% walk around with a power bank incase their phone runs out of battery power.

Phone addiction is starting to manifest itself among African Millennials as 48% use their smartphones while in the bathroom.

Mobile Apps

Not only do African millennials spend more time on social media sites, but they also spend as much time gaming. The most downloaded app by category are social networking, gaming, instant messaging, banking/finance, education, health & fitness.  Ugandan, Ghanaian and Kenyan millennials have more game apps downloaded on their smartphone than any other application. The use of power banks though evident is not yet prevalent.

African Millennials are vanguards of a future Africa and technology is becoming an integral part of it all. As younger millennials continue to make their impact felt in almost every sector, a mobile first approach is crucial for any company that seeks to reach this culture-rich group of image-conscious, educated and opinionated individuals.

This GeoPoll rapid survey was conducted in February 2017 among 2,861 respondents between the ages of 18- 34 in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria using the GeoPoll App.

Download a copy of this report with more detailed graphs.

Read our other reports on this series on African Millennials on spending habits and on side businesses.

The post African Millennials; Mobile Usage and Media Consumption appeared first on GeoPoll.

As seen our 2^nd report on this series on SSA millennials, image and how the youth are perceived is very important. There is an opportunity to instill an entrepreneurial mindset among those in college or working.  As noted in our 2^nd report on spending habits of youth consumers in SSA, there are knowledge gaps among African millennials on areas such as effective saving plans, wise investments and financial management. As noted in the report, when asked, many would like to better understand asset financing, entrepreneurship and investment opportunities available in their respective countries. The preference towards commercial loans by many, underscores these needs.

In a continuing series on Sub Sahara African Millennials, we sought to find out the percentage of youth Africans with side business running as they study or work day jobs. This is the third rapid survey in a series on what makes the African Millennials tick, their aspirations, hopes, affinity, and habits as well as get their thoughts on leadership, governance and their future in a digital age in the best way that they know how to communicate; using their mobile phones.

Agriculture tops ICT, entertainment, online business and logistics as the most popular form of side hustle for millennials in the East African Countries; Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In West Africa countries; Nigeria & Ghana, the youth are into less conventional sectors than those mostly associated with the youth such as ICT, entertainment and online businesses. In South Africa, Food & Beverage is the more popular side hustle for many youth.

Apart from Uganda that has the highest number of youth whose day jobs conflict with their side hustles, millennials in other SSA countries don’t experience this dilemma with many choosing either Agriculture, food & Beverage or less conventional side jobs. Interestingly, it is in Uganda where ICT is the next most popular line for side business, a very close second (20%) to Agribusiness (24.4%) among the youth.

Despite popular belief, not many young Africans have side hustles (37%). According to our survey, Nigeria has the highest number of millennials with side hustles (44.4%) followed by Kenya (40.8%). South Africa has the least with only 30%.

Out of those who indicated that they have side hustles, the main sources of their capital is in form of loans from  banks, relatives, mobile money and micro-finances in that order. Despite their more friendly repayment terms, Savings Cooperatives or Saccos as they are locally known, are the least popular among the youth and rank lower than mobile money loans, micro-finance loans or even bank loans.

Despite the known high interest rates charged by most commercial banks, young millennials in SSA still prefer borrowing from commercial banks (30%) then relatives (23%) before looking at other available options. This can be explained by the renewed focus and targeted marketing at millennials by most commercial banks in SSA. A good number of local and multinational banks have rebranded to have a more youthful look and feel with many introducing mobile banking, customized products and services targeted at millennials. Unfortunately, the same has not happened with many Savings co-operatives which are still viewed as old, boring, traditional, strict entities run by an older generation that does not ‘get’ the youth.

The most popular sources of loans among millennials for their side hustles are commercial banks, relatives, micro-finance, mobile money and Savings Cooperatives (Saccos) in that order.

From the survey, this trend of side hustles is fairly new among young millennials with a majority still in school and a few probably in their first job. Over 73% indicated that they have run the side hustle for less than 2 years. The earnings for many who engage in side hustles is below 200USD per month with over 30% of the extra income going towards  savings while 25% goes towards school fees and a further 20% going towards utility bills.

This GeoPoll Rapid survey was conducted in February 2017 among 1,762 young Africans in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania using the GeoPoll App.

The post Sub-Sahara African Millennials prefer bank loans to finance their side businesses appeared first on GeoPoll.

This is the second survey in a series on African Millennials in which GeoPoll seeks to understand just what makes the African Millennials tick, their aspirations, hopes, affinity, habits as well as get their thoughts on leadership, governance and their future in a digital age in the best way that they know how , using their mobile phones.

Close to 70 percent of Africa’s population now comprises of Millennials according to a 2011 Africa Development Bank report. Africans aged 16-34 account for 65 percent of the continent’s consumer spending (McKinsey 2013 report). The African millennials are vibrant, on the move, tech savvy and image conscious. They are upping their levels of education and are extremely optimistic about their future.

Although the youth unemployment hovers around 12 percent in SSA, young Africans with jobs are taking charge of their future by saving towards education with over 34% of their monthly spend being set aside for this. Among the countries that were part of this survey, Ghana has the highest rate of youth saving towards education at 46%.

Many young Africans in SSA who took part in the survey have jobs (51%), however, a good number still depend on their parents for their upkeep at 32%.

On the commercial side, mobile and e-commerce exists but they have not become part of everyday life for youth consumers in SSA. In East African countries where mobile payments are popular, youth consumers consider mobile payments as cash and  still  prefer it to other modes of payment (71 percent) for daily purchases. It is only in South Africa where credit cards are popular but only second to cash payments.

In a GeoPoll survey conducted in 2016 just after Black Friday online sale on ecommerce in SSA, mobile payments and cash on delivery were still the most popular among youth consumers. Read the full report from the survey here.

Although personal care takes up 56 percent of expenditure among the millennials, the youth in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana set aside a significant amount of their earnings for an investment in education. Advancing in education is one of the most important pursuits for millennials with many saying that they save up to 10% of their monthly earnings towards it. This is in comparison to buying a car, a house or travelling.

Interestingly, gambling is becoming popular among male African Millennials in SSA due to their high affinity to sports and the proliferation of local sports betting players. This is still a very nascent industry. 3 percent of Youth consumers in SSA indicated that they spend part of their income on gambling.

There are knowledge gaps among African millennials on areas such as effective saving plans, wise investments and financial management. When asked, many would like to better understand asset financing, entrepreneurship and investment opportunities available in their respective countries. This is proof that young Africans are striving for financial independence, prosperity and believe in their own ability to charter their own course with a strong belief in the adage “Education is the Key”.
This GeoPoll survey was conducted in January 2017 among 2,726 young Africans in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria using the GeoPoll App.

The post The spending habits of Youth consumers in Sub Sahara Africa appeared first on GeoPoll.