African mobile phone operator Vodacom on Wednesday reported a 40-percent jump in revenue from data usage in the fourth quarter, as smart phone use continued to grow. The Johannesburg-based firm — majority owned by Britains Vodafone — said 7.2 million customers were using smartphones in its main market, South Africa, by the end of the year. Vodacoms operations elsewhere in Africa — Mozambique, Nigeria, Lesotho, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo — also saw an increase in data customers, said CEO Shameel Joosub. That will be seen as good news for mobile phone companies who are banking on increased data revenue to offset a fall in cell phone calls.
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