Growing African membership of a global mobile community has forced its leaders to open its first base on the continent.
MEF (formerly the Mobile Entertainment Forum) has partnered with telecoms giant Vodacom to launch the Johannesburg open office which will act as a hub for the trade association’s members.
Speaking to HumanIPO on the reasons for choosing Johannesburg as its next destination, Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director, said: “There were numerous places to consider because we wanted to set ourselves up as a pan-Africa organisation.
“The majority of our members have a Johannesburg office and it will be a good place to be to set the mobile agenda for the continent.”
Perelmuter said she expected MEF’s general manager to be on the move to network with companies across the continent.
The organisation has also been encouraged into South Africa because of the growth of the mobile industry. According to their own global consumer survey, 95 percent of mobile media users in the country were using mobile content and commerce activity – more than in the US or China.
The survey results also showed 96 percent of mobile media users in South Africa say their phone plays an ‘important role in their lives’.
Prins Mhlanga, Managing Executive of Vodacom Digital Media, said: “MEF has a lot to offer to the telecommunications industry and consumers who stand to benefit from the innovations that will emanate from its initiatives and analytics.”
MEF, was founded in 2000, and has its global headquarters in London. It has bases in Asia, South America, the Middle East and North America and aims to provide an impartial voice to the mobile industry.
