Ramadan is a time of cultural and spiritual significance in Southeast Asia and Pakistan. Marked by fasting, prayer, and community activities, the holy month is also a period of heightened consumer activity. Spending on essentials, gifts, and festive preparations surged, with retail sales jumping by over 43% this year. Indonesia recorded a 47% growth in online retail sales during early Ramadan, while Pakistan’s $32.6 million Ramadan relief package supported household spending despite inflation.

Digital engagement soared during Ramadan this year, with mobile apps for shopping, food delivery, entertainment, and finance seeing significant activity. Early Ramadan was driven by Shopping and Food & Drink purchases as families prepped for suhoor, iftar, and festive essentials. Finance apps peaked early-to-mid-Ramadan, supporting payments and budgeting needs, while Travel apps climbed pre-Ramadan, reflecting holiday and family gathering plans.

Marketers and app developers should align their strategies with Ramadan’s unique consumer behaviors, ensuring their offerings resonate with its cultural and spiritual essence. 

Understanding these nuances is vital for engaging audiences in Southeast Asia and Pakistan effectively.

The overall install trends across Southeast Asia (SEA) and Pakistan show distinct patterns influenced by the cultural and consumer behaviors of this period. Installations surged significantly during the early and middle weeks of Ramadan, with peak activity recorded around March 11 and March 18, 2024. This reflects heightened engagement as users seek entertainment, food, and shopping apps to prepare for the holy month and celebrate its mid-point traditions.

Indonesia and Malaysia demonstrated consistently strong contributions to the overall install rates, with noticeable spikes during these peak weeks. Pakistan, too, showed robust growth, particularly in the later phases of Ramadan, suggesting a focus on Eid-related preparations. Singapore, while showing a smaller share overall, displayed higher engagement in categories like shopping and finance apps during the same period.

The data also indicates sector-specific preferences. Entertainment and shopping apps dominated in terms of overall installs, with a steady climb observed from early Ramadan through the celebratory phase. Food and drink apps saw an incremental rise early in the month, aligning with iftar and sahur needs. Finance apps experienced a secondary surge closer to Eid, likely driven by festive spending and gifting practices.

This trend underscores the strategic importance of targeted app marketing campaigns during Ramadan in SEA and Pakistan, particularly focusing on key periods of increased consumer activity to maximize impact and engagement.

User acquisition ahead of Ramadan is the groundwork of your success. Week-to-week install trends show steady growth early in the month, peaking the week before Ramadan as users prepare for suhoor and iftar. A second spike follows Eid al-Fitr, driven by celebratory and community-focused activities, especially in Indonesia.

iOS performs strongly early in Malaysia and Singapore, while Android remains strong throughout Ramadan, particularly in Pakistan. Paid campaigns are key to these peaks, especially for iOS Shopping and Finance apps mid-Ramadan, targeting short-term needs like Eid prep and spend budgeting.

When we look across categories, Shopping and Food & Drink apps thrive pre-Ramadan, while Finance apps peak mid-month, and Travel apps take off closer to Eid as families finalize plans. Marketers should focus on pre-Ramadan campaigns in Malaysia and Singapore, and consistent efforts in Pakistan and Indonesia (particularly for Android).

Post-Eid, Android shines, making it the perfect time to target celebratory app usage. Travel and Finance marketers should focus on Android users, as their activity stays strong post-Ramadan. Meanwhile, Food & Drink apps should leverage continued Android momentum for post-Eid campaigns.

Festive shopping and finance planning help stimulate paid installs. For iOS, early to mid-Ramadan peaks hit Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan, with Pakistan also surging the week of April 22—likely tied to post-Eid specials. Marketers should focus on early campaigns and target Pakistan’s late spike.

Ramadan in Indonesia in particular is a “gold mine” for app engagement, with each category having its moment to shine. From shopping sprees to celebratory meals and entertainment breaks, users’ habits evolve significantly throughout the month. 

Like the rest of the region, Shopping apps take the spotlight pre-Ramadan, when users are in full-on prep mode. They’re busy stocking up on festive essentials, gifts, and home decorations, driving a surge in installs just before the holy month begins. Engagement slows down closer to Eid as purchases wrap up and wish lists are checked off. Marketers need to hit early with strong campaigns that tap into this pre-Ramadan urgency. Think flash deals, bundles, and promotions for essentials and gifts.

Entertainment apps shine during pre-Ramadan and early Ramadan, especially through paid installs. Whether it’s streaming their favorite shows during suhoor hours, or winding down after iftar, users crave much-needed leisure moments. Installs remain steady all month, proving that entertainment is a consistent go-to for downtime throughout Ramadan.

Food & Drink apps experience not one, but two peaks. The first comes right before Ramadan as families plan suhoor and iftar meals. Then there’s a second surge after Eid, as celebratory dining and group meals take center stage. Whether it’s meal inspiration, dining out, or hosting festive feasts, Food & Drink thrives when campaigns target those key moments.

Timing is everything when it comes to maximizing purchases. Front-load revenue campaigns for pre-Ramadan and early Ramadan when spending peaks—especially in Malaysia and Singapore. Purchases among Indonesian Android users also surge in the first three weeks, driven by shopping and festive preparations, while users in Malaysia and Singapore spend heavily before Ramadan, making urgency-driven promotions a strategic play to grab your piece of the pie.

Post-Ramadan, strategies vary. In Pakistan, in-app purchases decline gradually, creating opportunities for remarketing campaigns focused on financial tools and celebratory spending. In Indonesia, post-Ramadan drops require retargeting users who haven’t converted.

By category, Finance apps show steady retention early-to-mid-Ramadan for spend and budgeting. Shopping dips post-Eid, requiring re-engagement with flash deals. Focus on post-Eid recovery to sustain momentum when retention dips.

Category trends also follow similar trends:

• Finance apps thrive early to mid Ramadan, with iOS leading for spend and budgeting.
• Food & Drink apps hit two highs—pre-Ramadan for suhoor and iftar prep, and post-Eid for festive dining and late-season deals..
• Shopping takes the lead pre-Ramadan in Pakistan but gains momentum mid-Ramadan in Indonesia, peaking closer to Eid.
• Entertainment in-app purchases spike late February to late March as users dive into streaming and gaming during suhoor and post-iftar downtime.
• Travel apps surge pre-Ramadan as users lock in plans for trips, prepping for family gatherings and celebrations.

To maximize results, focus early Ramadan across all markets, with post-Eid campaigns targeting Food & Drink for sustained engagement.

Retention trends also highlight clear spots for re-engagement to sustain loyalty. iOS retention stays steady throughout, making it ideal for week-to-week engagement strategies like reminders for shopping deals, iftar planning, or financial tools. On Android, mid-Ramadan is key—markets like Indonesia and Malaysia show slight lifts, offering room for targeted campaigns.

By category, Finance apps show steady retention early-to-mid-Ramadan for spend and budgeting. Shopping dips post-Eid, requiring re-engagement with flash deals. Focus on post-Eid recovery to sustain momentum when retention dips.

We see prime opportunities during Ramadan to reconnect with users at just the right time. Pakistan leads mid-Ramadan, with remarketing peaks likely driven by Eid prep and spend activity. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore shine post-Eid as marketers ramp up remarketing efforts to lock in gains, targeting users finalizing travel plans and lingering festive activities.

The trends also vary across platforms and categories. Entertainment apps hit their stride at two key phases: mid-Ramadan for iOS users and post-Eid for Android. Android marketers ramp up their engagement after Eid, as users seek ways to unwind and celebrate.

Finance remarketers own mid-Ramadan, particularly on Android, where installs peak with re-engagement campaigns to manage payments, Eid budgeting, and expenses. iOS follows a similar pattern but holds steady, making it ideal for campaigns focused on short-term financial tools and planning.

Shopping activity is robust early to mid-Ramadan, with remarketers targeting users for Eid essentials—gifts, clothes, and decorations. iOS users show urgency, peaking mid-month and dropping off quickly, while Android users sustain their activity a bit longer, offering a window for extended remarketing campaigns.

To make the most of this, target Finance and Shopping apps mid-Ramadan with high-impact campaigns that meet immediate needs. For Entertainment apps, hit up iOS users early in the month and shift focus to Android users post-Eid, when leisure takes over.

Mobile app install fraud remains a persistent problem in the region, especially on Android, where its open ecosystem makes it a prime target. In Indonesia, fraudulent installs spike sharply during Ramadan, with Shopping apps on Android seeing nearly a quarter of installs flagged as fraudulent in some weeks. Finance apps are even more hard hit, as they remain one of the most targeted categories, particularly on Android. Interestingly, Entertainment apps experience early Ramadan fraud surges on Android before tapering off, making them a key focus during that period. On iOS, fraud is generally lower but still rises mid-Ramadan for Finance apps and pre-Eid for Shopping apps, showing that even a closed system isn’t entirely immune.

Marketers targeting Indonesia should focus on fraud prevention at the start and middle of Ramadan, especially for Android users, and address iOS Shopping fraud just before Eid. Post-Ramadan, vigilance is still needed, as Shopping and Finance apps often see a resurgence in fraud during Eid celebrations and the days after.

In Singapore, Finance apps face even bigger challenges, with Android fraud peaking at a staggering 41% of installs in mid-May—far above levels seen elsewhere. Fraud on Android consistently outpaces iOS, with additional spikes early March, late April, and after Ramadan. These patterns highlight the critical need for strong fraud detection throughout the season. By aligning strategies with these trends, marketers can safeguard campaigns, boost ROI, and maintain user trust in these highly competitive, fraud-prone markets.

Targeting early in Ramadan is crucial across many regions and categories, as mid-month CPI spikes highlight the need to capitalize on low-cost windows. In Indonesia, Shopping CPIs plummet after Ramadan, making the post-Eid period ideal for cost-effective campaigns that align with celebratory spending. Malaysia’s rising mid-Ramadan CPIs underscore the advantage of reaching new users early in the month to capture peak shopping demand before costs surge. Meanwhile, Singapore’s consistently low CPIs make always-on campaigns a smart strategy for acquiring high-value shoppers year-round.

For Entertainment apps, low CPIs across the board create strong opportunities for cost-effective campaigns. In Indonesia, CPIs dips early in Ramadan, making it ideal for user acquisition. Pakistan stands out with CPIs dipping significantly late in Ramadan and the week after Eid, offering a perfect window to re-engage users seeking downtime activities without overspending. In Malaysia, CPIs remain stable early in Ramadan and rise post-Ramadan, suggesting the best time to capture users is during the early weeks when costs are still low. In Singapore, CPIs spike closer to Eid, so focusing campaigns early in Ramadan ensures acquisition at more competitive rates before costs climb.

CPI trends for Finance apps highlight key opportunities for cost-effective user acquisition. In Indonesia, CPIs drop significantly around March 18, making it the ideal time to promote spend and budgeting tools. Malaysia sees its best window in February and mid-March, as costs rise sharply post-Ramadan. Pakistan offers steady affordability with low CPIs mid-March, allowing marketers to target users during peak financial planning demand. In Singapore, early campaigns in mid-March are essential, as costs surge closer to Eid. Aligning campaigns with these CPI windows is critical to maximizing ROI.

Retention rate is a key performance indicator that offers deep insights into an app’s performance, especially regarding user loyalty and engagement. It serves as a cornerstone for optimization, monetization strategies, and revenue forecasting. Giving proper attention to retention ensures we stay aligned with campaign goals and empowers us to make data-driven decisions.

Let’s be honest—achieving strong retention is a huge challenge. This is largely due to intense competition within popular categories and the ever-increasing user demand for a seamless experience.

2024 followed in the footsteps of 2023, with an overall slight decline or stagnation in rates. The days of COVID and its high rates in 2020 and 2021 now feel like a distant memory, a time when people turned to entertainment as social distancing measures were in place.

Compounding this issue is the challenge of privacy and signal loss, i.e. the loss of user-level data and actionable insights beyond the initial days of a campaign. It’s no surprise that app marketers often feel like they’re navigating in the dark.

While retention is currently harder to measure on iOS devices, benchmark data continues to be a valuable resource based on data from consenting iOS users (although a minority, it’s not a negligible number), Android usage, and overall retention rates from organic and non-organic installs combined.

Owned media activities like push notifications, email, and SMS have become a crucial component of a comprehensive app marketing strategy, offering new opportunities to drive lifts in retention and long-term LTV of existing users.

Overall, Android retention has weakened slightly compared to 2023 on the very first day post-installs, but has remained stable or even improved a bit after Day 14. YoY retention at Day 1 and Day 3 has indeed declined (respectively -4% and -2%). Rates remained stable at Day 14 and Day 30, and even improved this year at day 14 (+3%).

The YoY retention performances are different in iOS, which show a stability, or quasi-stability, for every day measured. Generally speaking, in 2024, the main platform gap persisted with higher rates on iOS compared to Android by 46%.

Overall, the lack of significant improvements in retention over the past few years highlights the ongoing challenges of keeping users engaged beyond the first month.

Learn and engage: on Android, Dating, Education, and Social Media categories experienced the highest growth in retention, with YoY increases of +35%, +29%, and +23%, respectively. On the other hand, Utilities & Productivity, Transportation, and Lifestyle faced the steepest declines (-13%, -12%, and -11%).

Read and go out: iOS paints a different picture. The categories with the highest YoY retention growth were News & Magazines (+24%), Health & Fitness (+22%), and Photo & Video (+20%). In contrast, the steepest declines were observed in Casinos & Gambling (-45%), Travel (-6%), and Gaming (-5%).

It is worth noting that the general ranking of categories driving the highest retention rates remains unchanged on both platforms: News & Magazines, Business, Transportation, and Shopping continue to lead in retention.

The map draws a sharp contrast between Day 30 retention rates in developed and developing countries, with the former clearly leading the pack. This disparity can be linked to various factors, such as the strong focus on discounts among users in developing countries. With price playing a more significant role, brand loyalty in these regions often takes a backseat.

In terms of Android Day 30 retention rates, Japan continues to stand far ahead of the rest of the world, boasting an impressive 4.15%, well above the United Kingdom at 2.73%. Other developed countries like France and Germany surpass the average rates. Conversely, countries such as Vietnam, Nepal, and Indonesia display lower rates below the average. 

On the iOS platform, some developed countries including the United Kingdom (3.22%) and the United States (3.02%) fall below the average retention rate. These two larger markets are outpaced by smaller European countries like Norway, Belgium or Denmark.

With challenge comes opportunity. Yes, the competition is getting heated. Yes, users are more price-conscious than ever and have increasingly higher expectations. No, the situation is not impossible. Here are some ideas on how you can improve your user retention in 2025: 

Build an outstanding first impression: A great retention rate begins with an effective first-time user experience. Clearly set expectations during installation and deliver on your promises. An intuitive, enjoyable experience fosters customer loyalty and maximizes lifetime value (LTV).

Leverage deep linking: don’t forget to use deep links in your UA campaigns, so that you can guide users straight to the content they’re excited about, ensuring a seamless transition from ad to install, and then from onboarding experience to conversion, without friction.

Harness owned media: Push notifications, email and SMS campaigns: they will drive higher engagement and improve retention rates. Apps that harness these tools effectively often see significant gains in day-30 retention, proving their untapped potential.

Invest in re-engagement campaigns: Run consistent, tailored re-engagement campaigns that add value. Begin within a week of the install and maintain efforts throughout the customer’s lifecycle.

Adapt to new measurement realities: Privacy-centric reality and signal loss brings challenges, and the need to rely on aggregated data of user level metrics. Advanced measurement methods like incrementality testing, predictive analytics, and cohort analysis can help you design and refine winning re-engagement strategies.
Compare against benchmark retention data: Leveraging a wider range of app metrics is always helpful. Even though iOS user-level information and retention data may not be available, benchmark reports and Android app trends can offer valuable insights that can be used to build out retention strategies.

After a 6% YoY decline in user acquisition ad spend among mobile apps during 2023’s economic downturn, the market rebounded in 2024, rising 5% to $65 billion globally (excluding China, see methodology below the chart). However, trends diverged by verticals, with non-gaming apps growing 8% while gaming apps fell 7%.

This shift aligns with a growing interest in non-gaming apps among VCs, driven not by declining confidence in gaming but by renewed opportunities in non-gaming sectors. Finance apps led the charge with a 61% YoY surge, buoyed by crypto and FinTech growth, while Travel apps rose 20%, nearing pre-COVID activity. Conversely, Shopping apps saw declining ad spend, reflecting a return to normalcy after a 2023 surge led by Asian shopping giants.

Within gaming, Casual games achieved a modest 3% growth, expanding their market share from 61% to 64%. Hypercasual ad budgets held steady, but Mid-core and Casino games saw steep declines of 21% and 12%, respectively.

Geographically, non-gaming ad spend rose across developed markets like the UK, Germany, Canada, and the US, with notable growth in Brazil and India as well. Gaming, however, faced global declines, with developed markets experiencing sharper drops than developing regions.

This rebound and sector divergence highlight shifting priorities and evolving strategies in a dynamic market.

In 2025, the global economy is expected to grow 3%, according to financial experts. With macro economic conditions a key indicator of ad spend, it’s another positive indication on the direction of app marketing budgets will take in 2025. 

Boundaries between gaming and non-gaming are likely to continue dissolving, with non-gaming expected to be the main growth driver. At the same time, the market is demonstrating confidence ahead of the expected roll-out of Privacy Sandbox and as a result is unlikely to affect  longer-term budget allocation.

In-app purchase (IAP) revenue saw significant growth in non-gaming sectors in 2024, increasing nearly 20%, led by Travel (+20%) and Shopping (+21%). 

This growth stemmed from two key trends. On the positive side, advanced monetization strategies focusing on high-value users played a crucial role. Apps improved at identifying when and where users are willing to pay, capitalizing on the ongoing shift from physical stores to digital platforms. On the downside, inflation-driven price hikes also contributed to revenue growth, costs largely absorbed by consumers.

In contrast, gaming IAP revenue remained stable or slightly declined, with Casino up 4%, Midcore down 2%, and Casual down 5%.

In-app advertising (IAA) revenue also saw notable increases: +26% year-over-year in non-gaming and +7% in gaming. This was fueled by the adoption of hybrid monetization strategies, where IAP apps integrated IAA. Midcore apps, traditionally reliant on IAP, experienced a 21% jump in IAA revenue. Hypercasual apps, facing profit-margin challenges, seemed to have found stability by becoming hybrid casual, blending IAP with IAA, and ultimately boosting their ad revenue.

Another reason for the climb is the growth potential of IAA revenue driven by non-gaming budgets. Some media companies focused on gaming are increasingly looking at non-gaming as a growth driver. Indeed, we see that investment from non-gaming apps in leading gaming ad networks surged 38% in 2024, while gaming investments dropped 19%. Despite this shift, gaming budgets in these networks remain dominant.

In 2025, more and more brands and non-gaming apps are expected to invest in gaming inventories. IAP is also set for growth, driven by three enduring factors: the refinement of mixed monetization strategies, efficient loyalty programs, and evolving consumer behavior. These habits include more frequent purchases of low-cost products, prioritizing quantity over quality, and a growing familiarity with online shopping.

The utilization of owned media combined with deep linking technology reshaped the market in 2024, driving a 64% increase in owned media conversions due to greater focus on maximizing lifetime value of existing users. Deep linking enhances user experience by directing users to specific app content from virtually anywhere—whether physical (via QR codes) or digital. This allows app developers to create and manage seamless digital experiences across devices and operating systems.

The market experienced growth on multiple channels: email-to-app (+45%), text-to-app (+29%), and QR-to-app (+16%). 

Special attention must be given to the Web-to-app channel which recorded 77% YoY growth. The rise was fueled by deep linking success (in our case, with AppsFlyer’s OneLink) which enabled higher conversion rates. Moreover, more brands are adopting smart script-based technology that generates tailored, contextual deep links during users’ web journeys.

Globally, deep linking is expanding, particularly in regions like LATAM (+88%) and Western Europe (+78%). By vertical, gains were seen in Shopping (+21%) and Entertainment (+15%), while gaming saw an impressive increase of +132%. However, this should not overshadow the fact that the majority of deep link volume comes from the non-gaming vertical.

In 2025, deep linking is set to gain even more traction, reflecting smarter utilization of the technology. Brands have learned to deploy deep links more efficiently, identifying when and where ads should be displayed to maximize successful migration to their app where loyalty and lifetime value reign supreme. Expect web-to-app to continue climbing as web journeys become increasingly popular.

Although paid installs grew in 2024, it was at a slow pace (+2%), with Shopping maintaining its levels from the previous year, and Finance rising by 9%. In contrast, Utility & Productivity  declined 9%. The fastest-growing categories in non-gaming were smaller ones, such as Generative AI (+200%) and Lifestyle (+68%). 

In gaming, the slight YoY increase masked some disparities across categories. Growth was driven by Casual (+14%), while Midcore saw a slight increase (a lower CPI led to the significant drop in ad spend which we’ve seen in finding #1). Declines were recorded in Hypercasual (-4%) and, most notably, Casino (-15%). It is worth noting that this decrease aligns with drops in CPIs and ad spend.

Highlighting the importance of maximizing the value of existing users, paid remarketing conversions outpaced installs, growing by an impressive 22%. This uptick was driven by Shopping, its largest category by far, which saw a +29% increase compared to a flat trend in paid installs. In Finance, remarketing conversions grew three times faster than UA paid installs (9% vs. 22%), while a similar trend was observed in Travel (+8% in installs vs. +19% in remarketing).

Zooming in further, the increase in remarketing in recent months was clearly driven by iOS. This trend is most evident in Shopping (+24% on Android vs. +61% on iOS), in Finance (+17% vs. +117% on iOS), as well as in Dating and Entertainment. The jump can be largely attributed to Meta’s gains, with the deployment of Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM). Building on deep linking, AEM offers marketers enhanced visibility. This innovation has created a promising cycle: as measurement confidence improves, more money is invested in measurable strategies.

In 2025, paid installs are likely to grow with the expected growth in budgets. Remarketing efforts are also set to remain significant, underscoring the positive impact of monetization strategies: The goal is to reactivate as many existing users as possible, foster loyalty, and increase LTV.

Mexico, the Philippines, and several Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have confirmed their status as promising markets with overall install growth of +21%, +25%, and +30% respectively (across both platforms). Meanwhile, some large markets remained relatively stable: US, UK, and India ranged between +1% and +3% growth, while others like Brazil and Indonesia experienced more significant growth (+7% and +18% respectively).

On the category level, Generative AI apps led the way with an impressive 109% YoY increase, especially on Android, while Finance remains a cross platform safe bet (+26%).

Broadly speaking, a distinction can be made between apps users rely on for daily needs (e.g., Transportation, Utility & Productivity), which remain stable, and apps installed for leisure activities. Indeed, categories such as Casino & Gambling, Sports Betting, Lifestyle, and Travel are all on the rise, with growth rates of +107%, +93%, +43%, and +11% respectively.

In 2025, it will be worth monitoring the evolution of markets driven by “essentials” needs, and by leisure activities. In the gaming sector, some experts predict a renewed dynamism driven by the consolidation of hybrid casual categories.

The AI-driven production of creative variations is a rapidly growing industry. In 2024, creative production soared by 40%, reaching an average of 839 variations per month per app for apps spending more than $100K, and 574 for spending above $10K. Clearly, to succeed in creative efforts, in other words to find creative winners, playing the numbers game is a must. The only way to effectively scale at this level is with AI.

Interestingly, this year-over-year rise in creative output is driven almost entirely by apps with large budgets. But apps with smaller budgets, which target the same users in the same platforms, must scale by further adopting AI-driven solutions to stay competitive with larger players.

Additionally, the proliferation of creative variations has highlighted a critical need for performance measurement. The more creatives produced, the more essential it becomes to assess their effectiveness. The industry surrounding creative performance analysis, still in its early stages, is poised for significant growth in 2025.

By leveraging AI for scalability and measurement, businesses can better navigate the challenges of a saturated market, ensuring their creative efforts deliver meaningful results.

As we head towards the start of 2025, sub-Saharan Africa stands poised for economic recovery after recent challenges. Growth is anticipated for the region’s largest economies like South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, with the potential for policymakers to push through economic reform to accelerate sustainable, inclusive growth to the next level.

The International Monetary Fund projects regional growth to climb to 4.2% in 2025. Although that still represents relatively subdued levels of growth, it does provide cautious optimism against a background of lingering inflation pressures, financial exclusion and unemployment.

Those economic dynamics have at least provided fertile ground for digital transformation in sub-Saharan Africa, with digitization in the region gaining momentum throughout 2024 – particularly in the fintech sector. 

The mobile market continues to grow rapidly, with projections suggesting that mobile subscriptions in the region could breach 1 billion by 2029 – of which two-thirds will be smartphones. 4G adoption has accelerated in recent years and will be the primary driver of that mobile expansion, with half of all mobile subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa expected to be 4G in five years’ time. A dip in the average price point of smartphone devices has also boosted adoption rates, although this still remains a barrier to entry for the many in the region still living in poverty.

As we dive deeper into this report, we will explore how these economic and technological trends are shaping sub-Saharan Africa’s future, examining the interplay between economic challenges and digital innovation, and assessing the potential for growth in the mobile market.

Overall installs grew significantly in sub-Saharan Africa through the first half of 2024, rising by 23% year-on-year. That steady upwards trend continued for Android into Q3 of 2024 – up by 20% on the same quarter of 2023 – but iOS took a step back, dipping by 14%.

The impact of that backward step was mitigated by the fact that Google commands a much greater user base in the region. Comparing the first three quarters of 2024 to the same period of 2023 reveals a sizeable 21% growth in overall installs.

Non-organic installs (NOIs) underpinned Android’s growth in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 to date, growing 28% year-on-year. Nigeria saw particularly strong growth during the first half of 2024, rising by 38% in H1 compared to the same period of 2023.

NOI performance in the other major market of South Africa was relatively subdued, albeit with some sharp acceleration in Q3 of 2024, which rose by 31% compared to the third quarter of the previous year. That could bode well for marketers heading into the holiday period and beyond.

As NOI activity grew in the region, remarketing conversions nosedived over the summer to offset a 2x growth in Q1 of 2024. That leaves remarketing down by 22% in the year-to-date when compared to the same period of 2023 – but marketers should be encouraged by the phenomenal success of Q4 2023 and Q1 of 2024. Clearly, there was great success in reactivating lapsed users around the holiday period, which hopefully sets a positive precedent heading into 2024’s holidays.

App install ad spend dipped by 7% overall in Q1-3 of 2024 compared to last, with iOS taking a 10% hit year-on-year. Q3 brought some renewed spend, with a modest 6% rise compared to the same quarter in 2023.

As we’ll see, though, rising in-app purchase numbers for the region suggests that ad spend as a whole was shifted towards full-funnel marketing – engagement and conversion – rather than pure acquisition.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of the region’s mobile and economic growth can be found in sub-Saharan Africa’s in-app purchase (IAP) revenue trend, which is up 24% in 2024 to date compared to the previous year. iOS saw an impressive 39% increase during this period. With app install ad spend declining slightly year-on-year, it appears that marketers have shifted budget towards more of a full-funnel marketing approach, with impressive results.

With extremely strong performance in Q3 compared to the same period last year – up 25% on Android and 58% on iOS – that may suggest that the region is in for a strong conclusion to 2024 in terms of revenue.

When digging into the app landscape of any region, Google Search trends provide a strong indication of purchase intent or interest – meaning that a lot of insights can be derived from what people are searching for. For this report, we’ve focussed on Financial Services as one of the most-searched categories in sub-Saharan Africa, and looked at search traffic in Nigeria and South Africa.

According to the trends report from google, Financial Services has seen overall growth from January 2023- August 2024, with March being a seasonal peak for search terms in Nigeria. Of the rising* search topics related to finance, the following businesses have shown the largest volume:

1. “Moniepint”
2. “O-Pay”
3. “UBA internet Banking”
4. “Wema Bank” and
5. “Eco Bank”

*Rising topics are Finance related topics with the biggest increase in search frequency since the last time period. 

Of the Top** search terms, “Naira” “dollar” “naira to dollar” and “loans” were the most frequently searched on Google, with Zenith Bank and GTBank the only financial institutions in the top 20 category of search trends.

** Top – The most popular topics. Scoring is on a relative scale where a value of 100 is the most commonly searched topic and a value of 50 is a topic searched half as often as the most popular term, and so on.

According to the trends report from Google, for South Africa, Finance related searches have remained relatively flat, with a spike in January 2024.

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), the government agency responsible for social grants was the #1 rising search term in South Africa. The financial institutions in the top category were:

1.  “Nedbank”
2. “Discovery Bank”
3. “TransUnion”
4. “Wonga”
5. ABSA

The finance vertical was one of the standout categories for apps in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023 and into 2024, with impressive growth throughout – particularly in Q1. Overall installs of finance apps were up 34% when comparing the first three quarters of 2024 to the same period last year. iOS enjoyed a doubling of finance installs in Q1 of 2024 compared to the opening quarter of 2023.

Finance apps on Android continued their upward trend throughout the year, culminating in a 33% increase in Q3 vs the same period of 2023.

The finance vertical was one hit hardest by reduced app install ad spend budgets in 2024, with Android dipping by 27% in the first three quarters of the year compared to the previous period. Although 2025 and beyond is anticipated to be an improving time for economies in sub-Saharan Africa, this late-2024 performance may be an early sign that there could be a lag before finance ad spending recovers alongside the economy as a whole.

To that end, Q3 brought brighter news for marketers and potentially a positive outlook for Q4 and into the new year, as ad spend rose by 9% overall compared to Q3 of 2024. This includes a significant 57% rise for iOS, albeit on a platform with a relatively low market share.

IAP revenue from finance apps in sub-Saharan Africa continues to increase, with a big boost in Q3 of 46% compared to the same quarter in 2023. Taking Q1-3 of 2024 as a whole shows a significant 28% rise in IAP revenue among the vertical compared to the same period of the previous year.

The major market of Nigeria has seen finance apps jump in IAP revenue on iOS, up 51% compared to Q1-3 of the previous year, although Android has taken a small dip of 14% during that period.

Shopping apps have seen a remarkable rise in app install ad spend during 2024 to date, with spend skyrocketing by 80% when compared to the first three quarters of 2023. Considering that Q4 traditionally sees a bump for the shopping vertical, we could be set for a record-breaking year overall for ad spend on shopping apps.

iOS saw spend more than double during Q1-3, with Android also increasing by 59%.

After a strong 2023, IAP revenue continued to grow in the shopping vertical through the first three quarters of the year – up 15% on the same period in 2023. iOS was a particularly strong performer, rising by 26% during this period. Considering the sizeable bump enjoyed by shopping apps in Q4 of last year, the signs suggest a strong end to the year for the vertical.

In Nigeria, while IAP revenue growth was more modest than the region as a whole, there was encouragement in Q3 as revenue climbed by 15% year-on-year.