Outlook of the location-based services (LBS) market in Africa
Technavio’s market research analyst predicts the LBS market in Africa to grow at a high CAGR of more than 49% by 2020. One of the primary drivers for this market is the rise in demand for personal and enterprise navigation services. These services generate high revenues for the market primarily through fees for map updates and advertisements. These services also include voice-enabled in-car and pedestrian navigation services, which contribute to the market revenue. Moreover, the rise in internet penetration has boosted the adoption of smartphones in workforce management services for tracking the movement of goods through real-time sensors.
According to this market research study, an interesting trend gaining momentum in the market is the growing popularity of proximity-based mobile advertising among enterprises. Proximity-based solutions send relevant offers and information to individuals and allow companies track data related to people at different venues and locations. These solutions also help companies discover typical traffic patterns to understand and analyze consumer buying behavior. The growing trend of personalized shopping experience to customers has boosted the need for location data and behavioral insights, which will impel the prospects for growth in this market until the end of 2020.
Segmentation by technology and analysis of the LBS market in Africa
Indoor LBS is the fastest-growing segment of this market and is expected to grow at an impressive CAGR of 57% by 2020. Indoor LBS analytics helps retailers track the buying patterns of customers and offer customized services and specific discounts or coupons, which in turn helps increase sales revenue. Factors such as increasing Internet penetration and the growing popularity of social networking will propel this market segment’s growth over the forecast period.
Competitive landscape and key vendors
Telecom operators are developing new ways to promote LBS among target customers in countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. The key providers in the region are offering distinguishing services such as mobile banking and mobile entertainment to gain a competitive edge in the market. The market is witnessing collaboration between mobile operators and application providers, which are focusing on providing enterprise LBS such as asset tracking, mobile advertising, and card payments.
Key vendors in this market are -
- Foursquare
- Google
- MTN
- HERE
- TomTom
Other prominent vendors in this market include Airtel Africa, Asset Telematics, Astrata Group, Cellfind (Blue Label Telecoms), Ericsson, Intertel, LocateIT, Momo, MySidekick, mySOS, Ruckus Wireless, StarTrack, TeleCommunication Systems, Telenity, VigilM, Vodacom, and WestconGroup.
Key questions answered in the report include
- What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2020?
- What are the key factors driving the LBS market in Africa?
- What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the LBS market in Africa?
- What are the challenges to market growth?
- Who are the key vendors in the LBS market in Africa?
- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the LBS market in Africa?
- Trending factors influencing the regional market shares of Africa.
- What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the LBS market in Africa?
Technavio also offers customization on reports based on specific client requirement.
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Location-based services, or LBS, provide real-time information services that can be accessed with the help of mobile devices through a mobile network by utilizing the location of the device. LBS services also include mobile commerce when taking the form of coupons or advertising directed at customers based on their current location. LBS are expected to disrupt South Africa's mobile market in the coming years, with more than half of consumers expressing interest in using these services.
The region-based report, LBS Market in Africa, is part of Technavio’s ICT research portfolio. This portfolio provides a comprehensive market analysis along with the market share, market sizing, and market segmentations covering areas such as automatic identification system, cloud computing, data center, enterprise application, IT security, ITO and BPO, and product lifecycle management. These market research reports provide a perspective on the various market opportunities and market threats along with the key trends that would influence the market growth during the forecast period. It presents insights into the changing competitive landscape and a detailed profiling and market analysis of the vendors. Also covered in the research are the key regions or countries that would have an impact on the market during the assessment years.