Instagram is a fast-growing and attractive social media platform for many African tech companies, and the need to build a strong presence on the image-based platform is not lost on many tech firms from the continent.
From posting updates for followers, to quirky posts designed to go viral, or interacting with content from others in their industry, tech companies from Africa use Instagram for a variety of reasons.
While Facebook and Twitter are popular social network upon which many tech companies build their influence and presence, Instagram is no longer being ignored as an important battleground and point of contact for African tech companies.
Here are 10 African tech companies with the strongest presence on Instagram.
With over 268,000 followers on Instagram, Nigerian mobile operator Globacom leverages its large userbase spread across numerous African territories to grow its presence on the image-based social media platform, having posted around 7,000 images on Instagram.
While e-commerce giant Jumia has numerous regional Instagram accounts for its various markets, their Nigerian account is one of the largest, with a following of over 180,000 reacting to the over 11,000 posts that have been posted on the Nigerian e-commerce company’s feed. Jumia currently serves 20 countries in Africa, with Nigeria remaining the biggest of those markets thanks to around 15,000 vendors present in the country.
Kenyan telecommunications firm Safaricom is an institution in East Africa, and as such, the brand has been able to acquire a substantial following on social media platforms, which includes over 185,000 followers on their verified Instagram account.
Satellite television provider DSTV is available throughout Africa, and its popularity is visible in the fact that numerous markets have their own Instagram account. While Multichoice’s DSTV is based in South Africa, the Nigerian account is the most popular in terms of numbers, with over 90,000 followers on Instagram.
South African e-commerce platform Takealot relies heavily on social media to drive traffic and sales, which is why they have spent a great deal of money and effort to grow their following on the image and video-based platform. Takealot has over 15,400 followers on Instagram, advertising special offers and connecting with current and potential customers via the social media site.
South African mobile operator Vodacom eclipses MTN in its local market, even though MTN is bigger in continental and global terms. Vodacom also has the advantage over its telecoms rival in terms of Instagram numbers, with around 15,400 followers interested in Vodacom’s image and video posts.
South African mobile operator MTN is a household name throughout the African continent and in parts of the Middle East, which is why they work to ensure that their presence on social media is robust, with regional accounts for many of their markets. The account for MTN South Africa is popular, with over 11,000 followers receiving posts from the telecommunications company.
Fintech startup Paylater is a Nigerian company that provides loans for users, and it was selected to take part in the fifth class of the Google launchpad accelerator program last year. The company understands the importance of leveraging social media to grow its brand, which is why part of its strategy is focused on Instagram, where they have well over 8,600 followers and counting.
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Dr Priscilla Chan recently invested $24 million in an African startup Andela. (Image: connectnigeria.com)
Andela is a Nigerian coder training company that provides engineering teams with world-class software developers. The company is now headquartered in New York, with offices in Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya. It sees the value of having a strong presence on social media, posting frequently on Instagram in an effort to continue growing their 6,800-plus following on the platform.
GetSmarter is a South African edtech startup founded by brothers Sam and Rob Paddock, which develops online short courses in partnership with higher education institutions. The edtech company is fairly active on Instagram, allowing them to attract over 3,000 followers who interact with their posts. In 2016 Nasdaq-listed edtech firm 2U acquired GetSmarter for $103 million.
