These findings include the revelation that Ovi Store downloads by consumers in Africa have grown by 50%, developer registrations with Forum Nokia are up more than 60% and that, in South Africa, purchases from Ovi Store have grown 438% since operator billing was rolled out in June. Mobile payment, instant messaging and health-related apps have been especially popular with people across Africa.

 

"There are more apps in the Ovi Store every day and more people downloading them. Simply put, that means more money for developers. And it is not just about the quantity of apps, but the quality we are seeing from African developers that is incredibly encouraging." said Purnima Kochikar, head of Nokia's developer activities globally.

 

African developers are taking different approaches in showcasing their innovation. South African developers for example are bringing their apps to the market in multiple languages, while in Northern Africa developers are especially targeting Arabic-speaking markets worldwide. 

 

At the same time, East Africa is becoming a center of entrepreneurial growth, with consumers pioneering the use of mobile payment systems like M-PESA, Zap, Yu-Cash powered by Obopay, MTN Money and Orange Money, which together have an estimated 12 million subscribers. 

 

To support the efforts of developers across Africa, Nokia plans to host boot camps covering Java, Web Runtime and Qt across the region. In addition, networking and training events will be held in several cities, including Cairo, Johannesburg, Lagos and Nairobi.