The hype is there, no doubt.
But I think it’s time to put a stake in the ground and do some research into Twitter’s pervasiveness in South Africa… this is what I could find:
- According to research company, Sysomos, South African Twitter users make up 0.85% of total Twitter users (that is the 10th largest usership in the world!)
- According to Nielsen Wire Twitter receives an estimate 55 million visits per month (7 mil unique visits)
Based on this, I can make an assumption that SA Twitter users generate 467,500 visits per month (59,500 unique visits).
Taking into account that these stats seem to exclude access via mobile apps, these numbers are sure to be somewhat higher as well.
Right, how does this compare to some of SA’s other sites (unique visits):
- SABCnews.com (60,730)
- GoTravel24 (60,505)
- Premier Soccer League (59,629)
- IOL Property (57,190)
- SAReunited.com (55,834)
- The Times Multimedia (55,587)
- The Herald (54,578)
- Thunda.com (52,590)
- Sake24 (52,544)
(Source: Online Publishers’ Association of South Africa)
Now, I know that these calculations aren’t 100% statistically sound (and guys like RWW also admits this) but from this point forward, it’s my stake in the ground.
How relevant is Twitter in South Africa?
Well, with 467,500+ visits per month, a steady growth curve and very, very unique opportunities to interact/engage with an affluent audience…
How relevant is Twitter in SA you ask…
Louis is the Johannesburg manager of web marketing firm World Wide Creative. Louis is also known as the ‘Case Study Guy’ with an encyclopaedic knowledge of research resources to support the strategic initiatives he is involved in. In between organising Heavy Chef Sessions in the Gauteng region, Louis happens to have a mean sidestep on the rugby field. With his silky skills, dashing good looks, Colgate smile and cunning wit, Louis is the high school quarterback of the World Wide Creative marketing team.
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Stats are great and all that but I think it’s important (don’t ask me how) to measure the value of what is being tweeted and retweeted and how that affects user’s relationship with other users. People always ask me ‘What the point?’ ‘How do you benefit?’. This is difficult to answer – I always say: Just use it and you’ll see after a while!
Great post Louis
You forgot to add MXit… 20 million visits / 35 000 messages sent per second in peak times / 15 million users.. they are fab!
@Sandra – yep those stats speak for themselves. But comparing Twitter vs. Mxit? I don’t think so, Mxit is a global phenomena and the stats shows it, but they’re two totally different platforms. Incomparable.
Fact is this post was just to give a bit of clarity on Twitter in SA, not too compare it to other sites specifically. Something that I don’t think can be done in any event
But, thanks for your comments – Mxit have invested well in you.