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South African youth’s love affair with cell phones

It may be a funky fashion accessory and polyphonic friend to the young, but the mobile phone for this generation has to be functional too.

Nimble of mind and thumb, the Y-generation is hooked onto the cell phone. Even in South Africa, where youth culture is far from homogenous, globalisation has extended its tentacles and tendered the temptations of mobile technology.

Says Doug Mattheus, marketing director at Nashua Mobile: “Like their global peers, the local youth are amongst the fastest-growing users of cell phones. They form a rising proportion of new connections, of which 90% are now pre-paid customers.”

“And, like many young users elsewhere in the world, South African youth revel in text communication. In fact, tapping out countless SMS messages, in drawn-out dialogue format, is the hallmark of these users,” he says.

“It is also cheaper than chatting by voice. Using the cell phone to phone is left for events of varying degrees of urgency, like making contact with parents,” says Mattheus. He points out that these youngsters often have to foot their own telecommunications bills and therefore they will find ways of being in contact without paying heavily for the privilege.

“However product innovations from cellular companies are making it increasingly affordable to chat by voice. Services like family top-up, hybrid contracts, pre-paid packages and airtime transfer mechanisms are making cellular services affordable and accessible for the youth,” says Mattheus. “Examples of these new targeted products include MTN’s Me2U and Vodacom’s Yebo 5.”

A recent iTouch survey showed that just over half of a sample of scholars and students spend less than R100 per month on cell phone usage. The sample of users receive roughly as many calls as they make; the number of text messages they send are more or less equal to the number of voice calls made.

Mattheus says that the cell phone embodies much of what young people demand. Staying in touch with friends, in a private, instant, mobile and fairly affordable manner is its basic appeal. Doing so in a way that expresses individuality, satisfies the technology-obsession and builds image, extends the fascination.

Tech-savvy youngsters, wanting the freshest in digital development, can try out the latest trend-setting capabilities, sounds and graphics. These features can be customised to match personal style, again and again and again. The iTouch survey showed youngsters choose to change their ring-tones as often as ten times per year – or more. Most personalise the logo to match their own tastes.

“The mobility, usefulness and changeability of the cell phone have ensured its acceptance as a personal accessory to the young,” says Mattheus. “Aside from its communications features, it helps organise time and can be suitably noticeable, the latter with the aid of colourful accessories. To a culture in which brand and image count for a great deal, the cell phone offers a punchy package.”

This is not to say, though, that this market segment has fallen for all the gimmicks and offers from cell phone providers. For instance, a UK study shows that the youth is hardly enamoured with fiddly, fragile and costly third-generation cell phones. It seems that what counts, in the end, is usefulness and affordability.

Mattheus warns that getting to grips with the youth market is not simple: “This is a group that is fickle, disparate and street-smart. It can sniff out a freebee – and meaningless, cash-gobbling gadgetry - a mile away; it will take advantage or shun accordingly.”

Mattheus says that Nashua Mobile is tackling this young market with these cautions in mind. “Future marketing trends and promotions would have to weigh up the demands of functionality versus gadgetry. Holding the attention of the Y-generation may call for new levels of cell-phone functionality that is, well, functional. Possibly even more important would be the introduction of price-slashing deals that appeal to the cost-conscious.”


ENDS

About Nashua Mobile:
Nashua Mobile is South Africa’s largest, independent cellular solutions provider and one of the few providers to offer consumers the choice of all three networks (Vodacom, MTN and Cell C). Nashua Mobile provides world-class communications solutions and support to professionals, customers and consumers in small and medium-sized enterprises. More than 350 000 of South Africa’s two and a half million plus contracted cellular subscribers are Nashua Mobile subscribers. Headquartered in Midrand, Gauteng, Nashua Mobile has 150 outlets strategically placed across South Africa. More information on Nashua Mobile is available at www.nashuamobile.com. Nashua Mobile is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reunert Limited Group (http://www.reunert.co.za) which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in the electronics and electrical sector. Nashua Mobile has some 600 members of staff, and was also voted one of South Africa’s best companies to work for in the Finance Week and Corporate Research Foundation survey.