Since 2003, InterMedia’s experts have conducted surveys, qualitative research and evaluations across the continent, including in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Clients include international media and NGOs like Panos and Search for Common Ground. Perhaps not surprisingly, InterMedia analysts report on the diversity of the continent—as prevalent in media and communications terms as it is in political and economic. In some places, communication methods are advancing, with the Internet, cell phones, and SMS quickly gaining ground. In fact, use has doubled and even tripled in some urban regions, for example, in Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya and Angola. In many countries, television, radio and the printed press are reaching areas previously unreachable.
In
Africa’s poorer countries, however, many are beyond the
reach of any media or new technology. There, traditional
communication methods—word-of-mouth among friends and family—surpass
any other means of disbursing information. Still, InterMedia research shows
that no matter how far removed from information sources, a majority of
Africans think it is important to and strive to stay informed.
InterMedia will report on media trends across Africa in a special
in-depth
analytical publication, due out in late 2007.
Allen Cooper is Regional Research Manager for Africa.