Facebook has set-up its first office in Africa to strengthen the company’s commitment to support businesses in connecting with people and to grow locally and regionally
The firm, which is based in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, will be under the management of Ogilvy veteran, Nunu Ntshingila, Facebook's new head of Africa.
The company's active user population in Africa has grown 20 per cent to 120mn in June 2015 from 100mn in September 2014. More than 80 per cent of these people access Facebook from their mobile phones, the firm said.
“We are inspired by the incredible ways people and businesses in Africa use Facebook to connect. This momentum in Africa comes on top of strong advertiser partnerships and excellent adoption of our products across all regions. In Q1 2015, 52 per cent of our total ad revenue came from outside the US and Canada. But we’re just getting started,” stated Nicola Mendelsohn, VP, EMEA, Facebook.
“Mobile is not a trend; it’s the fastest development in communications we’ve ever seen. This couldn’t be more true in Africa – where so many people are mobile-only. This new office is a significant milestone for Facebook and our teams want to partner with businesses across the continent,” added Mendelsohn.
The firm now has plans to focus on growing its business in anchor countries in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa- Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Other supported territories include Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda Zambia, Mozambique and Ethiopia.
