In this edition of Mobile Monday, we’re taking a look at the latest mobile growth figures for Africa and examining what Samsung’s Tizen Mobile App Incentive Program could mean for the app ecosystem in emerging markets.
Mobile’s Growth in Africa
According to a new market research report by Ovum, Africa is on pace to have over one billion active mobile data subscriptions this year, driving mobile penetration in excess of 80%. Specifically 1.02 billion subscriptions are expected by the end of Q4 2016, and another 310 million subscriptions are expected to be added over the next five years. Of these, 70% are projected to be smartphones, an indicator that the mobile app market in the region is poised for considerable growth.
Tizen’s Incentives
Another potential boon for the mobile app economy in emerging markets is Samsung’s new $9 million incentive program for its Tizen platform. The Tizen operating system is an open sourced Linux-based operating system designed for low-end mobile devices such as the Samsung Z1, Z2, and Z3. Of course, as a relatively young mobile app ecosystem, the platform is in pressing need of more apps from publishers.
The Tizen Mobile App Incentive Program, which was announced late last week, will award $10,000 each month to the publishers of the top 100 most-downloaded apps. The program will run for 9 months, from February through October of 2017, with monthly award recipients being notified on the 10th of the following month. While the offer is appealing, skeptics question whether Tizen can cultivate an ecosystem richer than that found on other struggling mobile platforms. Time will tell!
About AdColony Mobile Mondays
Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday? Tweet it to @AdColony. For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow @AdColony on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on Linkedin.
- Rewarding to Engage: New Mobile User Survey Results Now Available - March 28, 2018
- Mobile Monday: Mixed Reality Promotion, Seriously Connected Fans, & FCC Acceleration - March 26, 2018
- Mobile Monday: GDC 2018 - March 19, 2018
