The number of mobile phone subscriptions in Kenya increased by 0.5 percent to 39.1 million in the third quarter to March from 38.9 million in the previous quarter, the latest statistics from industry regulator CA show. The mobile penetration rate dropped by 2.0 percentage points to 86.2 percent from 88.2 percent in the previous quarter. This is attributed to the review of the country’s population to 45.4 million from 44.2 million as per the Economic Survey 2017.
Net mobile additions during the third quarter were registered at 163,876 compared with 385,260 in the previous quarter. Pre-paid mobile subscriptions rose to 37.9 million subscriptions from 37.5 million in the second quarter, marking a growth of 1.1 percent. Post-paid subscriptions declined from 1.4 million in the second quarter to 1.1 million in the third.
The total number of subscriptions recorded by Safaricom was 28.1 million, up 1.4 percent from 27.7 million in the second quarter. Airtel Kenya registered a decline of 6.7 percent to 6.3 million from 6.8 million subscriptions in the second quarter. This could be attributed to the review of a tariff carried out by the service provider which led to reduction in new acquisitions.
Finserve Africa posted 1.7 million subscriptions, up 15.4 percent from 1.4 million in the preceding quarter. Telkom Kenya recorded a decline of 3.2 percent to 2.80 million from last quarter’s 2.89 million. Mobile Pay reported 86,724 subscriptions during the third quarter and Sema Mobile Services had 295 subscriptions, up from 270 in the second quarter.
Safaricom registered a growth of 0.7 percentage points in market share to stand 71.9 percent from last quarter’s 71.2 percent. Airtel's market share declined by 1.3 percentage points to 16.3 percent from 17.6 percent posted. Telkom Kenya's share dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 7.2 percent from 7.4 percent.
Finserve Africa's market share rose 0.6 percentage points to 4.4 percent in the third quarter from 3.8 percent in the second quarter. Mobile Pay recorded a market share of 0.2 percent.
Source: https://www.telecompaper.com/news/kenyan-mobile-subscriptions-edge-up-to-391-mln-in-q3--1208001