Mobile and developing countries

Backpackers from the first world have the privilege of seeing scenery in developing countries change each year.
Even in places where there is no electricity and no public water services, children can be seen walking around with cell phones selling airtime; a taxi driver will drop you in the middle of nowhere, hand you a business card and invite you to call him so he can come back to pick you up at your earliest convenience … and yes, for all of you who simply can’t live without your cell phone, there is network even in the most remote mountains.

Until recent years, Technology would reach developing countries one or two decades after western countries, but with mobile technology the story is about to change:

Across developing nations in Africa, South America and Southern Asia, mobile technology is rapidly spreading, bringing along with it important (social and economic ) changes. Studies show that these technological advances stimulate a nation’s economic growth and improve the quality of life of its people.

On BBC Wap Portal forum, this message is one among many, proving that an online audience is no longer limited to developed countries :

I’m in Uganda and the only access I have 2 the outside world is this pinhole 2 info cause I don’t have access to TV. Thanx.

In fact, in 2006 61% of BBC’s international WAP traffic was coming from Nigeria.

It could even be said that Mobile banking is more advanced in Africa than in Europe. Every South African bank has a mobile banking solution.

What does this mean for marketing? Your website’s audience is expanding beyond the realm of the developed world and consequently your communication might touch more people than you thought. More specifically, if you are not already keeping an eye on new operations in these once thought of as distant lands, maybe it’s time to start paying attention.

For those interested, a few links to dig deeper:

• MTC Report on the Socio-Economic Impact of Mobile Phones in the Arab World
• The Impact of Mobile Phones in Africa (Prepared for the Commission for Africa)
• Vodafone study on Socio-Economic impact of mobile phones in Africa
• South Africa : Mobile Simplifies Marketing
• W3C : Bridging the digital divide