SMS popularity is still alive on the African continent despite the global smartphone hype, Kenyan statistics show.
The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) revealed the continual growing of SMS traffic statistics, showing 3.6 billion SMSs were sent in Kenya within the first three months of 2013.
Global SMS statistics revealed a rise in SMSs between 2011 and 2012 with 7.8 trillion and 9.8 trillion messages sent respectively.
Although the effect of chat apps and other instant mobile messaging services on SMS use is acknowledged, the extinction of SMS messages is still far off.
SMS popularity is motivated by smartphone cost which is mostly not affordable to Africans.
Statistics show only one to two per cent of Africans can afford to acquire a smartphone.
Furthermore, surveys reveal 91 per cent of smartphone users still rely on SMS communication as an essential tool.
SMS has been rated eight times more used than any other mobile message application and two and a half times more used than social media applications.
SMSs are read within an average of four minutes while emails are generally opened within 48 hours.
