Why Telegram is so popular in Ethiopia.
According to Google Play Store each country’s download record, Telegram is a more highly downloaded app than the Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, IMO and other messenger apps in Ethiopia, Telegram is one of the preferred social media platforms in Ethiopia, it was more popular than any other such platform.
Telegram has more than 200 million users worldwide and about 1 billion WhatsApp users. So, what’s the cause with Telegram’s popularity in Ethiopia? It is not immediately clear why messaging services have become such a popular option for WhatsApp or Messenger, but there are a few reasons:
1/ Ease of use;
The internet connectivity of Ethiopia is very low, the internet coverage in Ethiopia is only 20%, with only 15% of its population of over 120 million. Although more than 55 million people have mobile connections, only 6.5 million are active social media users in 2022, plus to that there’s only one state-affiliated telecom service provider Ethio-Telecom, the government’s monopoly over all mobile and internet services through the state-owned Ethio Telecom. In this regard, the economics of downloading and using Telegram is 49 MB with WhatsApp 103 MB or Messenger 125 MB is one of the amazing features of Telegram, that’s why Telegram is attractive in Ethiopia.
2/ Video call and video conference features
In Sep 2020, Telegram added a video call feature, which was one of the most significant upgrades. Before, the app only supported voice calls, although its major competitor WhatsApp launched video calls a long time ago.
In April 2021 Telegram is launching a video conferencing feature, it allows up to 1000 participants at once a time and records HD messages, Telegram already supports one-on-one video calls as well as group voice chats. And now Telegram video conferencing feature on top of their Voice Chats as yet another Zoom competitor.
3/ Secure connection
Ethiopia severely restricts internet service and routinely closes social media. Recent studies have also shown that officials use commercial spyware to attack anti-government activities abroad.
In such a secretive political environment, Telegram provides end-to-end encryption as well as a timer that can remove messages without a trace. There is also the option of scanning your secret chats using an image that serves as an encryption key. The app’s programming interface allows developers to create a free one-size-fits-all interface for applications such as WhatsApp. Telegram, which currently supports 19 languages, is expanding the number of languages developers can build in its applications. It also supports foreign-language packages that help you translate content and messages.
4/ A tool for political activism
Personal data protection may not be the main reason for Ethiopian social media users. The messaging service has been hacked in the past, with hackers identifying the phone numbers of 15 million Iranians, many of whom share false information on the platform. The company’s commitment to freedom of speech, writing and expression has been questioned by the Iranian government following its removal. Another factor many Ethiopians may be attracted to is Telegram because of its unique features. The most important of these is the ability to form a large group of up to 100,000 members, thus facilitating political activity. WhatsApp, on the other hand, allows group chats and broadcasts of up to 256 people only.
5/ Marketing platform
The digital finance service delivery system is still in its infancy stage in Ethiopia and the country still has a long way to go in building its e-commerce system. However, Telegram has provided a cost-effective way for retailers and entrepreneurs to promote products, and services and provide up-to-date and consistent information to their customers. Users can pay for goods and services.
In general, so many Ethiopians believe that Telegram is easy to store and share large files such as videos, images, documents, attachments and audio-books with low internet connection.
