Apps, data changing mobile:

Mobile voice revenue is declining fast, while data use is surging, driven by instant messaging and apps, say new reports on the state of mobility in South Africa.

The findings of two reports -The Mobile Consumer in SA 2014 and The Mobile Internet in SA 2014, were presented at a media briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa, this morning. The studies, by World Wide Worx in partnership with FNB and Dashboard Research, found that 65% of South Africans – around 13 million people – now have internet access. Around 29% - 5.8 million of them - access the internet using mobile devices only, while 32% - or 6.4 million – access the internet using mobile devices and laptops or PCs, and 4% -  under one million - access the internet using only laptops or PCs.

Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, said voice usage is declining steadily, particularly among younger cellphone users, while data spend is surging. In the biggest data user group – people aged 19 – 24, only 56% of mobile budget is spent on voice (down from 66% last year), while data spend has increased from 17% last year to 24% currently. Overall, voice spend has dropped from 73% of mobile budget to 65%, while data has increased from 12% to 16%. At the beginning of 2010, voice stood at 77% and data at 8%. All ages are moving to increase dat