3. Why Africa ?
Last frontier for the online world
More than 1 billion people
Infrastructure is arriving:
120Gbit/s >> 15,000Gbit/s
Prices are dropping
Africa has the highest growth: more than 50% annual
growth in mobile subscriptions over the past 5 years 3
4. Diversity : Hundreds of Languages
50+ African languages
Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Igbo, Shona, Fula
Zulu, Chichewa, Kongo, Akan, Tshiluba, Kinyarwanda, Xhosa, Tigrinya,
Makhuwa, Afrikaans, Gikuyu, More, Kirundi, Sesotho, Tswana, Kanuri,
Umbundu, Northern Sotho, Luyia, Wolof, Bemba, Luo, Maninka, Tsonga,
Sukuma, Ewe, Luganda, Lusoga, Kimbudu, Ibibio-Efik, Bambara, Ometo,
Senoufo, Kalenjin, Kamba, Tiv, Gbaya, Zarma, Baoulé, Lingala, Beti-Pahuin
European languages
English
French
Portuguese
Middle-Eastern languages
Arabic
4
5. Lack of Local Content
100%
80%
Radio
RoW 60% TV
40% Mobile
Africa Internet
14% 20%
2% 0.2% 0.2% 0%
GH KE NG SN UG SA
Pop Users Hosts Dom ains SSA Social / Entertainment is Offline
(2009 penetration comparison)
• Globally, 94 domains per 10,000 people; Africa : 1/10,000
• Africa: 14% of the world’s population but 2% of Internet users
• Lack of online content spanning all African languages
5
6. Devices & Connectivity : A question of
affordability
More than 50% of 16 year olds who are
Price
familiar with the Internet don’t use it Price
$ per
multiplier of
GDP per
due “lack of access to a PC” (SSA ICT Survey) month
capita
SSA $45 66x
India $7 6x
Limited access to financing options, US $15 0.3x
besides high proportion of people
without bank accounts.
Fixed line and mobile cost about the
same as in Europe, but broadband in
Africa is 10x more expensive than in
Europe
6
7. Embracing Mobile
If more people knew (and
could afford) that their
current mobile already
allow them to access their
email or even browse the
Internet, Internet
penetration in Africa would
increase significantly!
7
9. Online activities – what are people doing online?
Email, search, instant messaging and social networking are all activities pursued to a great extent
on computers and mobiles. However, across the two means of access, social networking reigns
supreme in terms of being the main activity.
Main Tend to do (TOP 5) Via Computer Via Mobile Phone
Emailing 17% 84% Using social networking sites 59% 85%
Using social networking sites 45% 78% Using a search engine 76%
Using a search engine 13% 77% Emailing 68%
Instant messaging/ chatting 70% Instant messaging/ chatting 61%
Streaming/ downloading music/ radio 36% Streaming/ downloading music/ radio 47%
Looking for news or information on a… 30% Looking for news or information on a… 30%
Using online dictionaries or encyclopaedias 18% Viewing online photos 19%
Viewing online photos 17% Streaming/ downloading TV/ Films 17%
Streaming/ downloading TV/ Films 15% Using online dictionaries or encyclopaedias 15%
Online gaming 13% Online gaming 14%
Using video sharing websites such as… 13% Using video sharing websites such as… 11%
Making internet calls/ Skyping 7% Reading/ downloading an eBook 6%
Reading/ downloading an eBook 7% Making internet calls/ Skyping 5%
Blogging 5% Blogging 5%
Using online maps 4% Using online maps 3%
Using online Auctions 3% Using online Auctions 3%
Shopping online 2% Shopping online 3%
Online banking 1% Online banking 2%
Q10a. When you go online via computer, which are the five things that you tend to do the most often? Q10b. And which of these is the main reason?
GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL
Q15a. When you go online via mobile phone, which are the five things that you tend to do the most often? Q15b. And which of these is the main reason? 9
AND PROPRIETARY
Base: all users via computer (n=747), all users via mobile (n=463)
10. Online content – PC versus Mobile
Identical hierarchy of subjects looked or searched for via computer and mobile phone – no
indication of a division of labour here.
Via computer Via mobile phone
Entertainment 77% Entertainment 84%
News 74% News 63%
Sports 60% Sports 58%
Local information 39% Local information 32%
Research for school/ Academic Research 35% Research for school/ Academic Research 32%
Research for work 27% Research for work 20%
Government 22% Government 16%
Medical Information 18% Medical Information 16%
Job hunting 17% Arts & Culture (theatres, concerts, etc) 11%
Arts & Culture (theatres, concerts, etc) 16% Religion 11%
Religion 14% Job hunting 9%
Finance 14% Weather 9%
Travel 13% Finance 7%
Weather 11% Travel 6%
Shopping 7% Shopping 5%
None of these 3% None of these 3%
Q10c. When you go online via computer, which of the following subjects do you tend to look at or search for?
GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL
Q15c. When you go online via mobile phone, which of the following subjects do you tend to look at or search for? 10
AND PROPRIETARY
Base: all users via computer (n=747), all users via mobile (n=463)
11. Google Zeitgeist – 2010 Top Searches
Global Fastest Rising Fastest rising Most frequent
Queries searches, Ghana, 2010 searches, Ghana, 2010
chatroulette waptrick.com Ghana
ipad Opera Facebook
justin bieber World cup yahoo
nicki minaj facebook.com facebook.com
friv goal.com google
myxer skype pictures
katy perry premier league yahoomail
twitter Ipad love
gamezer Storm over paradise lyrics
facebook Asamoah Gyan www.facebook.com
11
12. Drivers for increased internet usage (users)
For computer users, current usage is most likely to be boosted by a combination of lower costs,
easier access and improved connection speed. Mobile users place less emphasis on access.
Via Computer Via Mobile Phone
Most Encourage Any mention Most Encourage Any mention
Lower cost 24% 39% Lower cost 25% 37%
Faster 14% 33% Faster 18% 35%
Easier access 18% 30% More knowledge 14%
More knowledge 14% More reliable 12%
More reliable 12% Discounted rates for frequent users 7%
Discounted rates for frequent users 7% More relevant content 6%
More relevant content 6% Safer access (secure, fewer viruses) 6%
Safer access (secure, fewer viruses) 6% Charged by smaller connection times 5%
Charged by smaller connection times 5% Consistent connection speed 4%
Consistent connection speed 4% More content in my native language 3%
Q21a/b. Which of these would encourage you to use the internet more via computer?
GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL
Q22a/b. Which of these would encourage you to use the internet more via mobile phone? 12
AND PROPRIETARY
Base: all users (n=986)
13. Barriers to internet usage (non-users)
Non users are predominantly held back by a lack of knowledge and hardware, but a sizeable %
indicate that they are simply not interested.
Main reason Any reason
I don't know enough about the internet 37% 83%
I don't know where or how to connect 8% 64%
I don't own a computer 60%
I am simply not interested 16% 51%
I don't have time to go online 46%
I don't own a mobile phone that can connect to the internet 42%
There is nothing relevant for me on the internet 40%
I don't have easy access to the internet 40%
I don't see a need to use the internet 40%
Internet connections are too expensive 37%
There is not enough information in my local language 37%
It is too expensive to connect in a cyber cafe 36%
I have other and better things to spend my money on 36%
I don't feel comfortable going to a cyber cafe 34%
There are things on the internet that are not appropriate for my… 31%
There is too much offensive content on the internet 30%
There are no cyber cafes near me 30%
Internet connections are not reliable enough 27%
The internet is not for people like me 26%
The electricity supply is too unreliable 26%
I am concerned about online security 25%
Internet connections are too slow 25%
Other people go online for me and give me the information I need 23%
Q25a. Which of these apply to you personally?
GOOGLE CONFIDENTIAL
Q25b. Which of these best describes why you personally do not use the internet? 13
AND PROPRIETARY
Base: all non-users (n=1014)
15. Google’s Mission for Africa
Get users online by enabling an accessible, relevant and sustainable
Internet ecosystem
1. Access : reducing access as a barrier
to all potential users
Many opportunities
2. Relevance : making the Internet
available for
relevant and useful to local people
businesses and
developers
3. Sustainability : helping to build an
Internet ecosystem in Africa that is
viable and sustainable in the long-
term
1
5
17. Access Barriers: Reducing Latency
• Supporting the foundation and encouraging the expansion of
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) around Africa: equipment and
expertise.
• Educating developers to create efficient websites and applications
to minimise loading times.
Installing Google caches around Africa to reduce international bandwidth
requirements for ISPs, improve the user experience and reducing latency.
Google providing Internet bandwidth, Apps and engineering support for the
Universities across Africa
New Product Features Gmail inbox
preview can be used in high-latency
environments to improve the user
experience.
17
19. Making the Internet relevant &
useful to local people
• Localising Google search
Many African languages, Hausa, Akan, Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa,
Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana
• Creation of more African content online
Kenyan Gazette, Nelson Mandela archives
Google Books partnerships
• Developing products that are locally meaningful and enabling
African developers to do the same
More detail on next slide
• Using technology to solve African problems for Africans
Launching specific Google products for African countries
19
20. Creating the African Internet Experience:
Products
Google Search in multiple African languages
YouTube in South Africa and Kenya
Google Maps in 30+ domains and in Afrikaans
StreetView in South Africa
Google Earth with Africa coverage
Gmail SMS in Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, SA
Gmail in Swahili and Amharic
Google country domains - most SSA countries
Google Translate in Swahili and Afrikaans
Google News – many African countries
Suggest in 12 new African languages
Google Suggest, Maps and Google Chrome
in Swahili
Driving Directions in Kenya, Ghana & SA
Local listings
Transliteration for Amharic on GWS in Ethiopia
Trader in Uganda, Ghana and Kenya
Google Baraza – pan-African Q&A
2
0
22. Helping to build an Internet ecosystem
in Africa
• Outreach to Students, Developers & Businesses
We are helping to strengthen and empower the community of
internet users in Africa
We are working with universities: raising the level of curriculum,
raising awareness about Google, and encouraging innovation and
entrepreneurship
We are also working and partnering with start-ups, publishers, the
media, NGOs and more
• Awareness and Education
We are raising awareness among African consumers, business and
Government, about the opportunities and value of the Internet
22
23. Student, Developer & Entrepreneur
Outreach
Educate the community on tools and applications that make the web and
mobile experiences better and more relevant
How we engage:
G-Africa events and DevFest
Barcamps, code clinics, competitions, tech hubs.
Apps, Android and Marketing Competitions
University programs, curriculum & tech talks
2011 Results:
~ 20,000 users reached
Participated in over 35 community events across 14 countries
Google Technology User Groups (GTUGs) from 1 – 17
2
3
24. Thank you!
Thank you!
"Life's most persistent and urgent question
is 'What are you doing for others?'" MLK