On average, each person spends a total of 3 hours and 46 minutes on the mobile internet every day

Key takeaways:

  • With nearly four hours daily, mobile internet is the primary way people interact with content.
  • At 3 hours and 13 minutes daily, TV remains relevant but is being outpaced by mobile consumption.
  • With 2 hours and 21 minutes daily, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X are where people spend much of their mobile time.
  • Digital press consumption (58 minutes daily) outpaces traditional print (42 minutes), signalling a continued decline in physical media.
  • Users spend 1 hour 25 minutes on music streaming, but gaming consoles only see 1 hour and 3 minutes, showing that on-the-go entertainment is preferred.
  • With podcasts at 52 minutes and radio at 51 minutes, audio content is still relevant but not as dominant as video and social media.

The digital world is powered by mobile, and the numbers prove it. On average, people spend nearly four hours daily (3:46) on mobile internet, making it the most consumed form of media. This exceeds time spent on TV (3:13) and desktops/laptops/tablets (2:52), showing a clear shift toward mobile-first digital experiences.
Interestingly, traditional media like print newspapers continue to decline, with only 42 minutes daily spent on physical press, compared to 58 minutes on online news platforms. Even radio, podcasts, and gaming consoles attract less attention than mobile content.

Source:

Global Web Index (GWI)

Period:

2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

South Africa leads as Africa’s digitally delivered services exports hit $41.3 billion in 2024, less than 1 percent of the world total
  • Africa exported $41.3 billion in digital services in 2024, less than 1 percent of the world total.
  • South Africa was the continent’s top exporter with $7.05 billion.
  • Morocco ($6.74 billion) and Ghana ($5.18 billion) followed closely.
  • Egypt ($4.03 billion) and Mauritius ($3.53 billion) also ranked among the top five.
  • The top five countries together made up about two-thirds of Africa’s exports.

For every $1 Nigeria earned from exporting digital services between 2005 and 2024, it spent almost $10 on imports
  • Nigeria exported $10.81 billion in digital services between 2005 and 2024.
  • Imports during the same period reached $105.34 billion.
  • The result was a trade deficit of $94.53 billion over 20 years.
  • Exports rose from just $40 million in 2005 to $1.55 billion in 2024.
  • Imports were almost ten times larger than exports, showing a persistent imbalance.

South Africa dominates Africa’s data centre scene with a total of 320 Mega watts capacity across two data centres
  • Teraco in South Africa is Africa’s largest data centre with 200 MW capacity.
  • Nigeria follows with a combined 110 MW from Rack Centre and MainOne.
  • Kenya leads East Africa with a 50 MW facility by Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
  • Morocco’s 40 MW Maroc Datacenter tops North Africa.

Only 16 African countries have launched national AI strategies as of July 2025
  • Just 16 out of 54 African countries have launched a national AI strategy.
  • Over 30 countries remain at the early or inactive stage with no clear roadmap.
  • Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is still drafting its AI policy.
  • Leaders include Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Rwanda, and Senegal.
  • Most low-income and post-conflict states like Chad, Somalia, and South Sudan are far behind.

Meta earns $16.6B profit as Q1 2025 revenue hits $42.3B, over 3× Q1 2018, with half from outside the U.S., Europe & Asia-Pacific.
  • Meta’s revenue reached $42.3B in Q1 2025, more than triple its Q1 2018 revenue, marking a steep and sustained growth curve.
  • Net income surged to $16.6B, its highest in a first quarter, reflecting efficient cost structures and monetisation strategies.
  • The U.S. alone contributed 26.1% of this revenue, followed by Asia Pacific (15.8%) and Europe (7.4%).
  • The “Rest of the World” brought in over 50% of Meta’s total revenue, highlighting a growing influence from emerging markets, including Africa.

The United States of America hosts over 3,700 data centres, 8× more than any other country as of May 2025
  • The U.S. dominates globally with 3,757 data centers, more than 8× any other country in the top 10.
  • Germany and the U.K. follow distantly with 443 and 428 data centres, respectively.
  • No African country makes the top 10, emphasising the infrastructure gap.
  • Africa's top three show modest but notable progress: South Africa ranks 36th (49 data centres), Kenya 54th (18), and Nigeria 56th (16).

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved