Mobile Application Usage in Tanzania
Mobile Applications usage in Tanzania
Mobile Application or Mobile App is a software application that is designed to work in mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, Television, watches and other wears (Margaret Rouse, 2017),.
Companies and Individuals across the world develop mobile applications (apps) for various solution ranging from social, finance and political.
Mobile apps are developed to run in various software platform such as Android, iOS, Tizen and Windows phone.
In Tanzanian context, recent years according to Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority(TCRA) data of 2016,
* There is 40,173,783 mobile phone subscribers and 19, 862,525 Internet users (Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority, 2017),
* This surge is due to growth in technology and availability of low-cost smartphones in the global market. These data means that there is high usage of mobile applications in Tanzania.
In social aspect, several application are mostly used in Tanzania such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram.
Whatsapp
* It's designed basically as messaging and calling for free application, available on all phones over the world (Whatsapp Inc, n.d.),
* It’s currently replacing Short Messaging Service (SMS) and voice calls in many countries including Tanzania.
Usage of Whatsapp in Tanzania
* To maintain the social relationship.
People uses whatsapp as a major means of communicating with friends and relatives.
* To share and exchange information.
Whatsap has become a major source of news in Tanzania, people share videos, pictures, document and audio, even the government of Tanzania sometimes shares public notices using whatsapp.
Impacts of Whatsapp Usage in Tanzania
*It has led to drop in revenue of telecommunication companies(GSMA, 2017), this is because most of people reduced their daily calls and SMS usage due Whatsapp,
*It has led to increase in Cybercrimes because people share even some illegal information such as abuses (TECHZIM, 2016),
*It has led to decrease in workers activeness because Whatsapp usage during working hours (Psychology Today, 2009),
* It has expanded some people business networks because of easy outreach using Whatsapp.
Instagram
* It's designed for people to share life moments (Instragram Inc, n.d.).
Instagram Usage in Tanzania
*It's used as a platform for sharing information
*It's used as a platform for business advertisement
Impacts of Instagram Usage in Tanzania
* It enables Tanzanians to earn income through advertisement of other's business on their pages.
* It has led to increase on online marketing.
Facebook
* It's designed to connect people across the world (Facebook Inc, n.d.)
Facebook Usage in Tanzania
* It's used as a platform to connect with friends.
* It's used as a platform for advertisement.
Impacts of Facebook Usage in Tanzania
*It has led to increase on online marketing
*It has led to decrease in workers activeness because Facebook usage during working hours (Psychology Today, 2009),
Other Mobile Applications in Tanzania
On the other hand mobile apps are developed to solve various financial issues such as online marketing, advertisements and payments.
In Tanzania there is a shift from using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) to the use of mobile apps, for example National Microfinance Bank (NMB) Mobile App, CRDB BANK Sim Banking, M-PESA, Tigo Pesa and etc., these Mobile Apps simplify the process of e-money transfer and bill payments.
Apps like Kupatana,Jumia etc enables Tanzanians from various locations to market and sell their products, and they have great success as many Tanzanians nowdays use online markets to purchase clothes, electronics, furnitures, vehicles etc
Mobile Application or Mobile App is a software application that is designed to work in mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, Television, watches and other wears (Margaret Rouse, 2017),.
Companies and Individuals across the world develop mobile applications (apps) for various solution ranging from social, finance and political.
Mobile apps are developed to run in various software platform such as Android, iOS, Tizen and Windows phone.
In Tanzanian context, recent years according to Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority(TCRA) data of 2016,
* There is 40,173,783 mobile phone subscribers and 19, 862,525 Internet users (Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority, 2017),
* This surge is due to growth in technology and availability of low-cost smartphones in the global market. These data means that there is high usage of mobile applications in Tanzania.
In social aspect, several application are mostly used in Tanzania such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram.
* It's designed basically as messaging and calling for free application, available on all phones over the world (Whatsapp Inc, n.d.),
* It’s currently replacing Short Messaging Service (SMS) and voice calls in many countries including Tanzania.
Usage of Whatsapp in Tanzania
* To maintain the social relationship.
People uses whatsapp as a major means of communicating with friends and relatives.
* To share and exchange information.
Whatsap has become a major source of news in Tanzania, people share videos, pictures, document and audio, even the government of Tanzania sometimes shares public notices using whatsapp.
Impacts of Whatsapp Usage in Tanzania
*It has led to drop in revenue of telecommunication companies(GSMA, 2017), this is because most of people reduced their daily calls and SMS usage due Whatsapp,
*It has led to increase in Cybercrimes because people share even some illegal information such as abuses (TECHZIM, 2016),
*It has led to decrease in workers activeness because Whatsapp usage during working hours (Psychology Today, 2009),
* It has expanded some people business networks because of easy outreach using Whatsapp.
* It's designed for people to share life moments (Instragram Inc, n.d.).
Instagram Usage in Tanzania
*It's used as a platform for sharing information
*It's used as a platform for business advertisement
Impacts of Instagram Usage in Tanzania
* It enables Tanzanians to earn income through advertisement of other's business on their pages.
* It has led to increase on online marketing.
* It's designed to connect people across the world (Facebook Inc, n.d.)
Facebook Usage in Tanzania
* It's used as a platform to connect with friends.
* It's used as a platform for advertisement.
Impacts of Facebook Usage in Tanzania
*It has led to increase on online marketing
*It has led to decrease in workers activeness because Facebook usage during working hours (Psychology Today, 2009),
Other Mobile Applications in Tanzania
On the other hand mobile apps are developed to solve various financial issues such as online marketing, advertisements and payments.
In Tanzania there is a shift from using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) to the use of mobile apps, for example National Microfinance Bank (NMB) Mobile App, CRDB BANK Sim Banking, M-PESA, Tigo Pesa and etc., these Mobile Apps simplify the process of e-money transfer and bill payments.
Apps like Kupatana,Jumia etc enables Tanzanians from various locations to market and sell their products, and they have great success as many Tanzanians nowdays use online markets to purchase clothes, electronics, furnitures, vehicles etc
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