Kenya has joined the likes of Japan, Finland and Sweden, among other developed countries across the globe with more than 100 percent in mobile penetration. Precisely, the number rose by 2.3 % points to hit 100.1 percent from the previous quarter. This is according to data presented by the ICT watchdog the Communications Authority (CA) that just announced sector statistics for the first quarter of the FY 2018/2019.
In principle, the numbers imply that there is more than one mobile subscription per person, and according to the CA, this was the case because millions of Kenyans have more than one SIM card, either from the same mobile operator or a competitor.
The same data was echoed before by the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBIS) that found out that more than 30 percent of locals own more than one SIM card.
In Africa, Kenya joins Morocco, Tunisia and Namibia that surpassed the 100 percent mobile penetration a few years ago. However, some developed nations such as Taiwan and Israel hit those numbers more than a decade and a half ago.
That aside, the number of mobile subscriptions now stands at 46.6 million as of September 2018, a jump from 45.5 million that was registered in the preceding quarter. Out of these numbers, Safaricom’s share, which is still significant, dropped by 1.2% to 64.2. Airtel and Telkom Kenya take the second and third spot with 22.3% and 9.0% market share, respectively. The two carriers generally reported growth.
Telkom’s mobile subscriptions have grown, and this latest development implies the carrier should be hitting 5 million mobile subscribers. Contrastingly, Safaricom’s numbers have been on a steady decline. About one year ago, the telco’s market share was at +70%.
The stats are summarized in the chart below.
