We’re delighted to introduce you to VENDS’ first Travel and Tourism Social Index for Africa – the most in-depth study to date of the use of social media across the tourist boards, national airlines and leading hotels of Africa.

1. Africa Travel & Tourism
SOCIAL INDEX
JUNE 2016

2. 2
Executive Summary Page 3
Criteria Behind The Index Page 4
Explanation of the Index Page 5
VENDS Insight
#1: Social Media and Tourism Growth Page 6
#2: Social Media and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Page 7
#3: Popular Social Media Platforms Page 8
#4: The Prevalence of Rich Content Page 9
#5: The Role of Mobile Technology Page 10
#6: Innovation, Monetisation and Global Focus Page 11
#7: Success Stories and Shining Stars Page 12
#8: Global Benchmarks Page 13
#9: The Index
African Tourist Boards Social Media Index Page 14
African Airline Social Media Index Page 15
African Hotels Social Media Index Page 16
Cumulative Social Media Figures Page 17
African GDP, Population & Tourism Growth Page 18
VENDS Africa Tourism Growth vs. Ranking Index Page 19
#10: Lessons to be Learned – VENDS’ Commentary Page 20
Contents

3. We’re delighted to introduce you
to VENDS’ first Travel and
Tourism Social Index for Africa –
the most in-depth study to date
of the use of social media across
the tourist boards, national
airlines and leading hotels of
Africa.
Why Africa?Within this developing yet
dynamic continent, we’re confronted by
characteristics and statistics that are
both unusual and fascinating.
To begin with, against the backdrop of a
population of 1.1 billion people, Africa’s
total continental GDP is $2.39 trillion –
significantly less than the United
Kingdom’s $3 trillion, despite the laer’s
63 million people.
In Africa, too, we must consider a current
mobile penetration of 67% and internet
penetration of 26.5%, of which social
media penetration sits at only 24%.
These figures are significantly lower than
elsewhere in the world.
And why the focus on social media?Well,
no-one can deny that social media has
matured enormously, to the extent that it
impacts directly on a country or brand's
position, perception, relevance and even
economic performance.
It also plays a growing role in many
aspects of worldwide tourism.
Consumers engage with social media
when researching trips, sharing personal
experiences, and making decisions on
when, where and with whom to travel.
Plus, user-generated content is widely
perceived as the most credible and
authentic – for obvious reasons, it is the
source travellers trust most.
For suppliers of tourism services, too,
there is great value to be gleaned from
examining social media best practices
when interacting with consumers, and
social media marketing of tourism
products is an excellent strategy.
In the context of Africa’s developing
hospitality sector, this report explores
whether a correlation exists between
brands’ or organisations’ social media
performance on the one hand, and
increases in tourism numbers and
financial performance on the other –
using a mix of quantitative and
qualitative metrics.
We also compare Africa to global
benchmarks Dubai, Britain and the USA.
The Africa Index is the second in a series
of geographically focused reports.We
hope you find it useful. Please share your
thoughts via #VENDSIndex.
Sincerely,
Chris O’Toole
Editor
Why Africa? Within
this developing yet
dynamic continent,
we’re confronted by
characteristics and
statistics that are
both unusual and
fascinating.
Executive Summary
3

4. 4
This VENDS study uses a blend
of quantitative and qualitative
data to examine the role of social
media in Africa’s hospitality
industry – with particular
aention to the national tourist
board, national airline and a
leading hotel from every country
on the continent.
Our figures take into account a wide
range of specific indications, including:
Reach: To what extent is the
organisation or entity
comprehensively and consistently
represented on the top six social
media platforms: Facebook,Twier,
Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and
Youtube? How many fans, likes or
followers does it have?What is its
aggregate reach?
Frequency: How regularly are these
social media channels updated and
what is the quality of the content that
is employed by these channels?
Engagement: How many interactions
does the brand achieve across the top
six social media platforms in terms of
shares, likes, comments, etc.?
Responsiveness:What are the
number, usefulness and speed of
replies posted by an organisation or
entity across its varied social media
portfolio?
Travel consumers
engage with social
media when
researching trips,
sharing personal
experiences, and
making decisions
on when, where and
with whom to travel.
Criteria Behind The Index

5. 5
Below is a series of tables. Each outlines
which national tourist boards, national
airlines and leading hotels have
capitalised on the opportunities offered
by the social media platforms available to
African tourism.
We examine which have the widest reach;
which produce ‘rich content’; which are
the most active, innovative, and
responsive; and which should be regarded
as benchmarks that others in Africa
should seek to emulate.
INDEx OF DATA
Overall top performing brands
and organisations
Top performing national tourist
boards
Top performing national airlines on
the continent
Top performing hotels on the
continent
Explanation of the Index
Which national
tourist boards,
national airlines
and leading hotels
are leveraging
the opportunities
offered by the
social media
platforms available
to African tourism?

6. 6
Is there a correlation between a
destination’s social media
ranking and its tourism growth?
In Africa, the most honest answer to this
question appears to be ‘no’.
Lesotho, the small landlocked country
that is completely surrounded by South
Africa, saw its tourist visitors surge from
433,000 to 1,079,000 between 2013 and
2014.This 59.87% climb may be a result
of its geographic and economic
interconnectedness with ‘neighbour’
South Africa, but it cannot be aributed
to the country’s middling social media
ranking of 26 (of a possible 51).
What’s interesting is that mountainous
Lesotho has been presented by several
global travel media platforms to be
beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable
and easily accessible from both Durban
and Johannesburg – making it a vastly
underrated travel destination in Southern
Africa.
SaoTome e Principe, the second biggest
climber in tourism growth from 2013 to
2014, at 33.33%, barely registers on the
social media ranking scale at number 49
of 51. Interestingly, while this island
nation has neither a national tourist
board nor a national airline, and no
associated social media profiles, its
leading hotel group recently initiated
both Facebook andTwier strategies,
yielding 7,155 and 124 fans/followers
respectively to date.
Tanzania and Rwanda fare slightly beer
in terms of social media, in 6th and 9th
places respectively, and have achieved
29.13% and 26.15% increases in tourism
growth from 2013 to 2014. Swaziland, in
25th place, has also done well, with a rise
of 23.17% in tourism growth between
2013 and 2014.
However, the lack of correlation between
social media ranking and tourism growth
is convincingly borne out when we
examine the region’s ‘Social MediaTop 5’:
South Africa, the Seychelles, Egypt,
Mauritius and South Africa.
Specifically, while the Seychelles and
South Africa present tourism growth of
less than 1% year-on-year, and Egypt and
Mauritius achieve slightly beer results
of approximately 4%, Kenya’s situation
should give pause.
Although Kenya ranks at number 5 on the
social media scale (with 83,200 followers
for its national tourist board and a
massive 351,000 followers for Kenya
Airways), it shows a 13.70% decline in
tourism from 2013 to 2014.
Both Papua New Guinea (ranked 22nd)
and Sierra Leone (ranked 10th) also
appear to be in trouble, with drops of
69% and 62.96% in visitor numbers.
Once again, it is unrealistic to suggest
that social media has played a marked
role in these declines, in view of Papua
New Guinea’s continued and widespread
presentation as potentially the worst
place in the world for non-partner gender
violence and Sierra Leone’s crippling 2014
Ebola outbreak.
Africa’s geopolitics
are too complex,
at present, for us
to examine social
media, tourism
and travel-related
variables in a
vacuum.
VENDS Insight
#1: Social Media and Tourism Growth
Interestingly,VENDS’ research suggests
that, when examining Africa, there is not
currently a correlation between social
media strength and tourism growth.
Boom line?The continent’s geopolitics
are too complex, at present, for any
researcher to examine social media,
tourism and related variables in anything
resembling a vacuum. In Africa, the truth
is simply that social media offers
nowhere to hide from the realities of
social, economic and political factors.

7. 7
Is there a correlation between a
destination’s social media
ranking and its GDP?
Here we examine whether larger
economies are beer able than their
smaller peers to exploit the benefits of
social media. In Africa, the simplest
answer is ‘not always’, because we must
distinguish between potential and reality.
Oen referred to as the "Giant of Africa",
Nigeria overtook South Africa to become
the continent’s largest economy in 2014.
It remains the biggest economy by GDP,
based on a 2015 estimate of $657 billion.
However, Nigeria sits in a middling 27th
place in terms of its social media ranking.
While this richly resourced country
enjoys the potential to develop a
significant social media presence, Nigeria
has not actualised this potential.
In contrast, South Africa and Egypt, the
second and third biggest economies on
the continent, with $350 billion and $324
billion GDP respectively, have realised
their potential when it comes to social
media, dominating Africa in terms of both
social media strength and actual tourist
numbers.
South Africa welcomed just over 9.5
million visitors in 2013 and 2014. Its
national tourist board claims 1st place
across the key social media platforms
(with 59,842 Facebook likes; 326,326
Google+ followers, 122,000Twier
followers; and 5,600 Pinterest fans,
24,000 Instagram followers), while its
national airline sits in 7th place and its
leading hotel, in 2nd (commanding a
combined 260,000 and 10,000 Facebook
andTwier friends respectively). In this
instance, however, social media strength
has not translated measurably into
significant tourism growth for the
country.
Egypt, despite lagging behind South
Africa in terms of tourist visitors, was –
until recently – the destination to
emulate in African tourism from a
numbers point of view. Aracting 9.6
million visitors in 2014, the country
registered a 4.72% increase in tourism
growth on the previous year. Its national
tourist board and national airline also led
the top five performers in social media,
with 1.4 million followers on Facebook,
Twier, Instagram, Google+ andYoutube.
Digging down, Egypt Air is undeniably the
continent’s most popular and most
diversely represented national airline
when it comes to social media, with
500,968 Facebook likes; 44,400Twier
followers; a whopping 873,054 Google+
followers; 14,600 Instagram fans; and
5,430Youtube fans.
But does this yield social media
engagements that are always positive?
We don’t know.We must remember, also,
that Egyptians themselves remain some
of the most active social media
consumers on the continent on a per
capita basis, so it’s possible that quantity
in social media doesn’t always translate
into quality tourism – at least, in terms of
visitors to the country.
Egypt, despite
lagging slightly
behind South Africa
in terms of actual
tourist numbers,
was until recently
the African country
to emulate.
The Seychelles is an interesting case
study in this area. Its 2015 GDP was
estimated at a mere $2 billion, yet it
remains a top five front-runner in
continental social media strength. Its
national tourist board has 305,000
Facebook likes; 7,083Twier followers;
and 3,029 Instagram fans, while its
leading hotel has the 4th highest
Facebook likes on the continent at 13,164.
VENDS’ research suggests that, the
larger an economy, the greater its social
media potential. However, the
actualisation of this potential is not
uniform across Africa, with smaller
destinations able to build larger profiles
with appropriate strategies in place and
stronger economies lagging behind.
#2: Social Media and Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

8. 8
Which social media platforms are
most important to African
tourism?
Facebookisasocialmediagiant.Atthe
timeofwriting,Facebookhasmore
monthlyactiveusers(1.49billion)than
WhatsApp(500million),Twier(284
million)andInstagram(200million)
combined.Morethan1billionpeoplelog
ontoFacebookdaily,whichrepresentsa
16%increaseyear-on-year.
Facebookhasalsoevolvedtofacilitate
connectionswithconsumers.
ThroughFacebookPages,Facebook
Advertising,andFacebookApplications
brandscanbuildlong-termdialoguesand
relationshipswithconsumers,while
tellingtheworldtheiruniquestories.
Travelbrandscanidentifyprospective
travellers,communicatedirectlywith
users,engagewithadvocatesandcreate
brandedexperiencesthroughadsand
custom-developedapps.
Furthermore,Facebookusersare
passionateaboutsharingtheirtravel
experiences,andthisisborneoutbythe
figurescollatedherebyVENDS.
AsofJune2014,thereare100million
peoplevisitingFacebookeverymonth
acrosstheAfricancontinent,withover
80%onmobile.
Everydestinationinoursurveyhadmore
likesonFacebookthananyothersocial
mediaplatform,ledbyMauritiuswith
893,802;Egyptwith749,155;andthe
Seychelleswith349,560.Egyptalsoleads
thepackasthecountrywiththemost
Facebookusers(13million),makingitthe
world’s20thlargestuserofFacebook.
SouthAfricaissecondwith5.5million
FacebookusersandNigeriaisthirdwith
5.35million.Inshort,theimpactof
Facebookisunrivalled.
However,othersocialmediaplatformsdo
playnicherolesinAfrica’stourism
industry.NextinlineisTwier.Strongest
intermsofspeed,Twierallows
organisationsandentitiestoshare
currentinformationinstantlyandenables
real-timetwo-waydialoguebetween
brandsandconsumers.
Importantly,Twiercanalsoplayakey
roleinchanging(orimproving)
perceptionsofadestination.Richard
Samson,ITPartneratKPMG,says,
“Twiercreatestheabilityforpeople
acrossAfricatoshareinformationand
readthediverseviews–embracingallof
thefreedomthatthisbrings.”
OnTwiertheregionisdominatedby
Kenya,withamassive351,000followers
forKenyaAirwaysand83,200followers
forKenya’snationaltouristboard.These
numbersgiveKenyaAfrica’sfirstand
secondlargestTwierfollowings,with
EgyptAirnextinline(and300,000
behind)at44,400.
Google+mustalsobementionedinthe
contextofAfrica,specificallywith
referencetonationalairlines.Withover
300millionmonthlyusersworldwide,it
remainsoneofthemostimportantsocial
mediaplatformsavailable.
EgyptAirexhibitsthelargestcontinental
usageofGoogle+,withits873,054
Google+followersanabsoluteanomaly.
Theairlinealsohas5,430Youtube
subscribers;asignificantnumber,even
Facebook is the
social media giant in
Africa, followed by
Twitter and then by
Google+ and
Youtube.
dwarfedasitisbyEgyptTravel’s23,592
subscribers–constitutingthecontinent’s
largestrepresentationbyfar.
EgyptisAfrica'sbiggestcountryfor
Google+,withhalfamillionEgyptians
listed.SouthAfricafollowswith466,828
andZimbabwewith30,237.
Todate,visual-bookmarkingtool
Pinterestandimage-sharingapplication
Instagramhavenottakenoffsignificantly
amongtourismorganisationsandentities
inAfrica,despiteardentglobaluse.Thisis
surprising,becauseInstagram–with300
millionmonthlyactiveusers–issaidtobe
mostpopularintheMiddleEastand
Africa(34%ofusers)andPinterest–with
70millionusers–isshownbyresearchto
beaccessedmostlyinNorthAmerica
(33%ofinternetusers),theMiddleEast
andAfrica(25%ofinternetusers).
Therefore,whileVENDS’researchpoints
toFacebookandTwierasthesocial
mediafront-runnersinAfrica,Google+
andYoutubearealsorelevant–
particularlyinthecontextofnational
airlinesandtouristboards.
#3: Popular Social Media Platforms

9. 9
What is rich content?
Importantly, who in Africa is
effectively using it?
The experts tell us that the key to a
successful social media presence is rich
content that targets an audience, delivers
the right message to them and persuades
them to take action. By definition, rich
content is any form of content that
engages the user by deviating from
normal text or static images.
Rich content on social media can extend
to podcasts, audio, videos, music, eBooks,
webinars and flash animation, all of which
offer more dynamic elements and a more
nuanced user experience than the
alternative.
These can also increase conversion rates,
appeal to viewers who prefer video to
text, and make consumers more
confident about online purchase
decisions.
Just as representation means lile
without performance when it comes to
social media, richness in the context of
content is also about responsiveness.
Says Lee-Ann DuToit of Momentum
Digital, “Being more connected means
being more transparent, visible and open.
Trust plays a critical part in this
connected world, as the consumer is now
the one with the strongest voice...”
In our Index, theVENDS team allocated
points for recency and frequency;
interactions and engagement (shares,
likes, comments); and responsiveness
(number and speed of replies), yielding
the following ‘Top 5 in Rich Social Media
Content’: Egypt, Mauritius, Ethiopia,
Morocco and South Africa.
The continent’s airlines are by far the
most proactive in rich content.
Air Mauritius (with 712,656 Facebook
likes and 14,300Twier followers) and
Egypt Air (with 500,968 Facebook likes
and 44,400Twier followers) appear to
consistently engage large and growing
audiences on social media.
Next in line is Kenya Airways (with
264,142 Facebook likes and 351,000
Twier followers), followed by Ethiopian
Airlines (with 255,757 Facebook likes;
27,200Twier followers; and a
remarkable 13,573 Google+ followers).
Other notable destinations not in theTop
5 include the Seychelles and Sudan.
The Seychelles, a top five front-runner in
social media strength, has a national
tourist board with a magnificent 305,000
Facebook likes, while its top hotel, le
Chateau de Feuilles, has the 4th largest
Facebook community of the hotels
indexed, at 13,164.
Sudan is all the more interesting. Ranked
only 38 out of a possible 51 countries for
social media performance, Sudan’s
national tourist board and airline fare
comparatively poorly. However, on the
commercial front, the country’s Al Salam
Rotana Hotel commands 71,100 Facebook
likes and 6,224Twier followers –
carving out a unique niche in Sudan’s
hospitality sector.
In social media
success, it is neither
size nor resources
that matters, but the
effort to create rich
content that makes
all the difference.
DeannaTing, of NewYork-based brand
consultancy firm L2, points out that
“Being a digital-savvy hotel brand goes
beyond just having a social media
account. Brands that truly understand
digital brand strategy in all its forms,
from mobile and SEO to social and e-
commerce, have the upper hand as more
and more consumers demand these
platforms and services.”
In short,VENDS’ research shows that the
continent’s airlines – in particular Air
Mauritius, Egypt Air, Kenya Airways and
Ethiopian Airlines – produce the richest
content. But these countries’ disparities
in population (Mauritius at 1.3 million
compared to Ethiopia at 96.6 million) and
GDP (Mauritius at $12 billion compared to
South Africa at $350 billion) suggest that
it’s neither size nor resources but effort
(and maybe strategy) that makes all the
difference.
#4: The Prevalence of Rich Content

10. 10
Gone are the days when global
travel was a leap into the
unknown.
Rapid advancements in mobile
technology have made it possible for us
to know as much as we want to about the
world around us.The smartphone has
empowered tourists with more flexibility,
choice and freedom than ever before.
As such, any discussion of social media
and tourism must acknowledge the
growing role of mobile technology –
especially in the developing world, where
mobile technology oen represents the
first modern infrastructure of any kind.
Mobile technology also poses new
challenges for tourism service providers
who are looking to successfully engage
with consumers.
In contrast to the situation in which many
developed countries find themselves,
access to technology in sub-Saharan
Africa over the last 10 years has been
mobile-led, with unique opportunities and
challenges.
Currently, Africa is the world’s least
mobile-penetrated continent. But low-
cost smartphones and affordable mobile
broadband packages are bringing more
and more people online, opening up new
markets for m-commerce, mobile
marketing and apps. It’s possible that
Africa will begin to resemble India, a
tourist hot spot, where mobile traffic
accounts for 75% of web use.
Since 2002, cell phone ownership has
exploded in the countries where trends
are available. In 2002, only 8% of
Ghanaians said they owned a mobile
phone, while that figure stands at 83%
today; a more than tenfold increase.
Similar growth in mobile penetration is
seen in all African countries where survey
data is available. For instance, roughly a
third of South Africans (34%) and about a
quarter of Nigerians (27%) say that their
device is a smartphone.
Until recently, East Africa was one of the
world’s least connected places, with
mobile and internet services that were
sluggish, pricey or inaccessible. But three
sub-sea fibre-optic cables were
constructed in 2010, and East Africa is no
longer the only major region without
super-fast broadband.What’s more,
Kenya and Rwanda are actually
technological success stories – with
Kenya showing the way in ‘m-commerce’
andTanzania and Uganda close behind.
In real numbers, it is estimated that 67%
of Africa’s population, approximately 1.13
billion people, currently owns a mobile
phone. About 26.5% of the continent’s
population is online, with 50.3 million
people using Facebook.
Grant Brewer, Ernst &Young’s Africa
Strategy & Digital Leader, points out
that, “The entry point to a digital future
for many people in Africa is through their
access to social media on their mobile
phone. It is important to realise that
social media are oen used differently in
emerging markets – for example,
Facebook may be used more to connect
to do business or to read the news than
would be the case in a developed market.”
In Africa and the
developing world,
mobile technology
often represents
the first modern
infrastructure of
any kind.
By 2019, feature phones will account for
only 27% of Africa’s mobile handset
market, as the market for smartphones
continues to grow. A recent report by
global technology consulting firm,
International Data Corporation (IDC),
showed that smartphone shipments to
Africa topped 155 million units by the end
of 2015, aer increasing by 66% during
the first quarter of 2015.
What this will mean for African tourism
remains to be seen. Although mobile
phone internet user penetration is still
dominated by North America with 64.4%
in 2014 – and the Middle East and Africa
combined sit at 54.4% – it is helpful for
tourism marketers to know that more
than half of all internet users are
accessing content online through their
mobile phones.
#5: The Role of Mobile Technology

11. 11
What are the new or emerging
media formats on the continent,
how are African destinations
capitalising on their social
media presence, and how
internationally focused are
African tourism brands?
TherealityisthatAfricaisstillplaying
catch-up.Thereinliestheopportunity..
With only a handful of destinations
meaningfully leveraging social media –
and a thimble-full doing so across the
range of platforms available – there isn’t
any data currently on which African
countries may be using new or emerging
media formats and indeed, what these
alternative formats may be.
There is also a negligible link, at least,
outside of Egypt and Mauritius, between
social media presence and tangible
monetisation.
But according to Bellinda Carreira,
Executive Head: Interactive Marketing at
Standard Bank, the potential is there. She
points out that, “One of the most
overlooked opportunities created by
digital technology and social media is not
directly linked to those platforms but is in
the surrounding services that go with
booming online trade. For example, there
are opportunities for entrepreneurs to
look at solving gaps in markets with
limited infrastructure to deliver goods
ordered online; resolving trustworthiness
issues in making payments online; or
offering solutions to the high cost of data.
For many organisations aiming to solve
one of these problems in Africa, the
opportunities are endless.”
Very few countries leverage foreign
language. South Africa, for example, is
one of the few that have international
web sites which also operate their own
domestic language social media.
1. None of the national tourist boards
communicate in multiple languages.
2. Aside from Air Mauritius and Egypt
Air, which are discussed in a later
section, only three national airlines
(16% of those on the continent)
communicate via social media in more
than one language: Ethiopian Airlines,
TACVCaboVerde Airlines and Air
Burundi.
3. Only three hotels in Africa (16% of the
continent’s hotels) do the same;
namely, Sudan’s Al Salam Rotana, Sao
Tome e Principe’s Bom Bom Principe
Island and CapeVerde’s Hotel Riu
Touareg.
Travel is an inherently global market, yet
language remains one of the greatest
untapped opportunities when it comes to
social media.
Africa is still
playing catch-up.
Therein lies the
opportunity.
#6: Innovation, Monetisation
and Global Focus

12. 12
Where do we look for inspirational
social media in Africa?
In this section, we examine the market
leaders and reveal what they do in their
social media efforts to distinguish
themselves from the competition.
HOTELS
South Africa’s Oyster Box Hotel tops the
leading hotels in Africa for social media
engagement, with 23,116 Facebook likes,
7,278Twier followers, and solid
representation on Instagram, Pinterest,
Youtube and Google+.
Scoring well for recency, frequency,
engagement and responsiveness, the
hotel regularly shares event information,
menu updates, behind-the-scenes
stories, social project details, and even
news about Africa’s #GrumpyCat, the
feline who has his own Facebook profile
and resides at the hotel.
Sudan’s Al Salam Rotana Hotel is second
in line, with 71,100 Facebook likes and
6,224Twier followers (this, despite the
country’s position in 38th place).
AIRLINES
Two airlines are shining social media
stars: Air Mauritius and Egypt Air. Air
Mauritius has 712,656 Facebook likes and
14,300Twier followers and Egypt Air
has 500,968 Facebook likes and 44,400
Twier followers. Egypt Air also dwarfs
the rest of the continent on Google+, with
873,054 followers.
Both carriers are successful in educating
audiences about their products, while
sharing route updates, secret albums,
curated media content, competitions, and
historical information, and doing so in
multiple languages.They also score well
for recency, frequency, and
responsiveness.
TOuRISM BOARDS
Four national tourism boards have
proved themselves to be able performers
in the social media space. On Facebook,
The Seychelles Islands and EgyptTravel
seem to dominate;Twier is led by South
Africa and Magical Kenya.
However, only two of the four, Egypt and
Mauritius, achieved more than
unexceptional tourism growth from 2013
to 2014. Egypt was clearly the destination
to beat until recently, creating initiatives
like the 2015 “Myeverywhere” campaign.
Designed to stimulate Egypt’s tourist
economy by leveraging social media,
Myeverywhere was a unique video
competition that allowed fans to use
their videos as entries into weekly prizes
and paid trips.
Successful airlines in
Africa are educating
audiences about
their products,
while sharing route
updates, secret
albums, curated
media content,
competitions,
and historical
information, and
doing so in multiple
languages.
#7: Success Stories
and Shining Stars

13. 13
Where do social media brands
from Africa stand on the global
stage, relative to heavyweights
like Dubai, Britain and the uSA?
Thus far, at least, there is no competition.
Africa appears to have a lot of catching
up to do and several important lessons to
learn.
The tourism sector in the Middle East in
general, and Dubai in particular, has
grown exponentially in recent years –
mirrored by the rise of social media to
inspire, inform and connect with
consumers. In Britain and the USA, too,
tourism is firmly established, making the
effective leveraging of social media for
tourist purposes almost mainstream in
those destinations.
BRITAIN AND THE uSA
More specifically, British Airways
currently has 2.3 million Facebook likes
and 867,000Twier followers, while
American Airlines has earned 2 million
Facebook likes and 1.2 millionTwier
followers.Then there are the hotels.The
MGM Grand in LasVegas has 1.1 million
Facebook likes and 340,000Twier
followers. Among the global chains,
Marrio International has over 2 million
likes on Facebook and HiltonWorldwide
has 1.4 million.
Airlines and hotels in Africa have a
significant way to go, if they are to reach
even 10% of the social media
benchmarks set in Britain and the USA.
The only ‘player’ is Egypt, which comes
closest to those numbers.
In terms of tourism boards,VisitBritain
set an industry record with its GREAT
Britain campaign, yielding 35.8 million
visits in 2015 (a 4% increase since 2014
and the country’s fih consecutive year
of tourism growth).
DuBAI
Dubai appears to be the front-runner,
however, thanks to its national airline,
Emirates. Emirates enjoys a large
following of its own, with nearly 6 million
Facebook likes, a further million on
Instagram and 750,000 onTwier.
Similarly, the Burj Al Arab – among the
most luxurious hotels in the world – has
400,000 likes on Facebook and 80,000
followers onTwier, making it the envy of
the Middle East hospitality industry. Such
strong support is likely to have boosted
visitor numbers to Dubai more generally.
In short, Dubai – closer to its African
counterparts in gross domestic product,
location and richness in natural resources
– should be the destination to inspire
African organisations and brands, rather
than the USA or Britain.
Dubai should be
the destination to
inspire emulation
by tourism
organisations
and travel brands
in Africa.
#8: Global Benchmarks

14. 14
South Africa
Seychelles
Egypt
Mauritius
Kenya
Tanzania
Namibia
Botswana
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Tunisia
Gambia
Zambia
Madagascar
uganda
Mozambique
Côte d’Ivoire
Senegal
Zimbabwe
Algeria
Ghana
Papua New Guinea
Ethopia
Malawi
Swaziland
Lesotho
Nigeria
Togo
Morocco
Djibouti
Niger
Comoros Islands
Benin
Cameroon
Gabon
Libya
Burundi
Mali
Sudan
Eritrea
Liberia
Mauriitania
Angola
Burkina
CaboVerde
Chad
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
SaoTomeePrincipe
South Sudan
Somalia
CentralAfricanRep
Congo, Rep of
Congo,Dem.Repof
South Africa
The Seychelles Islands
EgyptTravel
Mauritius
Magical Kenya
TanzaniaTourist Board
Namibia
BotswanaTourism
RwandaTourism
Visit Sierra Leone
TourismTunisia
VisitThe Gambia
ZambiaTourism
MadagascarTourisme
Visit Uganda
Visit Mozambique
Côte d’IvoireTourisme
Au Senegal
ZimbabweTourism
Algeria
GhanaTravel
Papua New GuineaTravel
EthopiaTourism
Visit Malawi
TheKingdomofSwaziland
Visit Lesotho
Come to Nigeria
TogoTourisme
Visit Morocco
Visit Djibouti
NigerTourisme
Comoros Islands
BeninTourisme
CameroonTourist
Le Gabon
Libya
Visit Burundi
MaliTourism
SudTourism
Eritrea
Liberia
Mauriitania
AngolaTravel andTours
Burkina
CaboVerde
Chad Now
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau Republic
SaoTome e Principe
SudTourism
Visit Somalia
–
–
–
59,842
305,200
241,424
177,181
73,193
65,413
46,522
19,132
17,748
20,084
20,115
20,456
16,935
12,492
11,906
12,514
12,675
10,374
7,565
6,464
4,170
1,625
5,090
2,011
2,713
2,499
241
1,928
1,332
1,471
1,039
–
286
287
119
64
19
–
–
15
10
3
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
122,000
7,083
13,600
14,400
83,200
2,798
4,345
11,600
12,700
3,178
1,139
68
82
3,114
2,141
563
–
1,404
2,233
68
1,702
2,442
177
1,835
1,117
1,195
1,508
–
–
–
–
640
46
–
–
3
15
26
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
326,326
463
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
125
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
881
–
–
–
–
1,910
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5,600
984
–
–
–
–
786
–
–
–
–
41
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
518
–
–
–
–
–
–
373
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
34,100
3,029
–
–
14,000
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
203
–
–
–
109
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
6,041
1,039
23,592
338
1,186
74
172
213
52
–
458
33
40
90
23
198
–
149
–
–
479
–
–
166
104
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
19
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
#9: The Index – African Tourist Boards Social Media Index
Tourist Board Pinterest Instagram YouTubeGoogle+TwierFacebookCountry
Ranking
Languages
Followers Followers Followers FollowersFollowersPage Likes
Emptyfieldsreflectnodataorprofileavailableatthetime

15. 15
Egypt
Mauritius
Kenya
Ethiopia
Marocco
Algeria
South Africa
Tunisia
Angola
Seychelles
Rwanda
Cape Verde
Botswana
Tanzania
Madasgascar
Congo, Rep. of
Côte d'Ivoire
Namibia
Cameroon
Senegal
Zimbabwe
Libya
Eritrea
Papua New Guinea
Malawi
Sudan
Bangui,CenAfrRep.
Burkina Faso
Mozambique
Swaziland
Djibouti
Burundi
Mauritania
Ghana
Egypt Air
Air Mauritius
Kenya Airways
Ethiopian Airlines
Royal Air Maroc
Air Algérie
South African Airways
Tunisair
TAAG Angola Airlines
Air Seychelles
Rwandair
TACVCaboVerde Airlines
Air Botswana
AirTanzania
Air Madasgascar
Equatorial Congo Airlines
Air Côte d'Ivoire
Air Namibia
Cameroon Airlines
Senegal Airlines
Air Zimbabwe
Libyan Airlines
Eritrean Airlines
PNG Air
Air Malawi
Sudan Airways
Karinou Airlines
Air Burkina
LAM
Swazi Airways
Djibouti Air
Air Burundi
Mauritania Airways
Air Ghana
500,968
712,656
264,142
255,757
254,769
251,886
239,563
158,000
108,163
31,196
16,794
22,166
19,747
18,403
17,282
16,645
18,955
10,583
4,041
4,773
4,824
3,981
2,160
1,414
266
793
598
278
209
22
15
39
22
–
44,400
14,300
351,000
27,200
27,300
7,025
3,025
6,648
–
2,592
11,000
258
3,122
3,315
4,159
2,631
1,034
102
4,964
643
330
199
–
52
915
–
–
16
–
170
113
16
–
–
873,054
4,008
–
13,573
803
–
23
–
–
80
11
35
–
130
–
–
–
–
73
117
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3,000
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
14,600
13,100
–
743
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,286
797
–
–
–
1,511
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5,430
313
1,028
1,405
1,510
–
166
–
98
214
29
79
–
29
–
–
–
107
12
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
–
#9: The Index – African Airline Social Media Index
Airline Pinterest Instagram YouTubeGoogle+TwierFacebookCountry
Ranking
Languages
Emptyfieldsreflectnodataorprofileavailableatthetime
Followers Followers Followers FollowersFollowersPage Likes

16. 16
Sudan
South Africa
Zambia
Seychelles
Papua New Guinea
Mozambique
Mali
Djibouti
Lesotho
uganda
SaoTomeePrincipe
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Cameroon
Algeria
Equatorial Guinea
Angola
Botswana
Mauritius
Niger
Ethiopia
Kenya
Tanzania
Rwanda
Togo
Côte d’Ivoire
Somalia
South Africa
Ghana
Kenya
Gabon
CentralAfricanRep
uganda
Congo, Dem. Rep.
Namibia
South Sudan
Malawi
Congo, Rep of
Burundi
South Africa
Comoros
Zimbabwe
Tunisia
Libya
Nigeria
Madagascar
Liberia
Guinea-Bissau
Benin
Morocco
CapeVerde
Chad
Burkina Faso
Eritrea
Al Salam Rotana
The Oyster Box
Tongabezi Lodge Livingstone
Le Chateau de Feuilles
Airways Hotel
White Pearls Resort Ponta Mamoli
Radisson Blu Hotel Bamako
Djibouti Palace Kempinski
Maliba Mountain Lodge
Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort
Bom Bom Principe Island
Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel
The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh
Star Land Hotel
Hilton Alger
Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf
Hotel Baia Luanda
Chobe Safari Lodge
Constance Le Prince Maurice
Grand Hotel Du Niger
Capital Hotel and Spa
Maji Beach Boutique Hotel
Baraza Resort & Spa
Kigali Serena Hotel
Residence Hoteliere Oceane
Villa Anakao
Ambassador Hotel Hargeisa
Ngala Lodge
Labadi Beach Hotel
Hotel Neptune
Hotel Le Cristal
Hotel Ledger Plaza Bangui
Royal Suites Hotel
Grand Karavia Hotel
The Olive Exclusive
Tulip Inn Juba
Kaya Mawa
Radisson Blu M'Bamou Palace Hotel, Brazzaville
King's Conference Centre
Foresters Arms
Moheli Laka Lodge
A'Zimbabwe River Lodge
Scheherazade Hotel Sousse
Corinthia HotelTripoli
TheWheatbaker
ConstanceTsarabanjina
Hotel Javvy
Hotel Lodge Ponta-Anchaca
Maison Rouge Cotonou
Riad Romance
Hotel RiuTouareg
Ledger Plaza N'Djamena
Hotel Canne a Sucre
Albergo Italia
71,100
23,116
15,612
13,164
12,247
9,708
11,210
9,663
6,694
8,083
7,155
6,799
6,763
6,564
5,733
5,554
5,042
4,427
3,965
3,781
3,474
3,446
3,205
3,000
2,908
2,882
2,260
2,169
1,893
1,927
1,384
1,251
1,057
1,160
1,060
975
850
906
835
737
640
531
431
368
171
349
198
148
92
18
7
6
–
–
6,224
7,278
2,285
61
–
751
107
1,542
1,548
532
124
288
–
–
64
–
–
247
–
–
39
–
83
163
–
–
18
48
223
–
–
–
78
–
–
27
137
–
29
12
–
–
–
5
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
112
4
–
–
6
–
41
35
49
–
–
4
–
41
2
6
20
–
–
8
4
21
–
5
1
–
–
40
–
29
–
6
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
33
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
491
326
–
–
56
–
–
272
–
–
–
–
–
26
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
50
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
37
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5,168
–
–
–
896
65
–
277
–
–
89
–
–
–
–
–
43
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
163
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
243
17
–
–
20
–
32
–
–
76
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
11
–
15
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
–
–
#9: The Index – African Hotels Social Media Index
Hotel Pinterest Instagram YouTubeGoogle+TwierFacebookCountry
Ranking
Languages
Emptyfieldsreflectnodataorprofileavailableatthetime
Followers Followers Followers FollowersFollowersPage Likes

17. 17
Total Tourist Board
Social Media
Interactions
Cumulative
Ranking
Total Airline
Social Media
Interactions
Cumulative
Ranking
Total Hotel
Social Media
Interactions
Cumulative
Ranking
Country
#9: The Index – Cumulative Social Media Figures
Overall
Ranking 278,616
191,919
553,909
171,579
317,798
5,267
1,705
6,532
21,712
0
68,285
19
51,825
30,500
30,945
15,899
12,675
17,182
23,262
13,275
0
20,598
14,070
0
12,036
5,466
287
9,798
1,471
3,694
26
6,351
0
4,012
0
3,934
1,928
1,039
67
3,659
0
15
0
119
640
3
0
0
34
332
0
10
0
0
5,517,345
3,902,127
3,940,569
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
Egypt
Mauritius
South Africa
Kenya
Seychelles
Ethopia
Morocco
Algeria
Tunisia
Angola
Tanzania
Sudan
Namibia
Rwanda
Botswana
Madagascar
Cote d’Ivoire
Zambia
Sierra Leone
Mozambique
CapeVerde
Gambia
uganda
Congo, Rep of
Senegal
Papua New Guinea
Cameroon
Zimbabwe
Djibouti
Lesotho
Mali
Ghana
SaoTome e Principe
Malawi
Equatorial Guinea
Swaziland
Togo
Niger
Libya
Nigeria
Somalia
Eritrea
Central African Rep
Gabon
Comoros
Mauriitania
Congo, Dem. Rep of
South Sudan
Burundi
Benin
Burkina
Liberia
Guinea-Bissau
Chad
united States
Great Britain
Dubai
3
4
1
5
2
23
29
20
11
–
6
39
7
9
8
14
17
13
10
16
–
12
15
–
18
22
34
19
30
26
38
21
–
24
–
25
28
31
36
27
–
40
–
35
32
42
–
–
37
33
–
41
–
–
1,438,452
744,377
242,777
616,170
34,082
285,105
284,382
258,911
164,648
108,261
21,877
793
10,792
29,120
22,869
21,441
19,989
–
–
209
23,335
–
–
20,787
5,533
1,466
9,090
5,154
128
–
–
–
–
1,181
–
192
–
–
4,180
–
–
2,160
598
–
–
22
–
–
55
–
294
–
5
–
1
2
7
3
10
4
5
6
8
9
14
26
18
11
13
15
17
–
–
29
12
–
–
16
20
24
19
21
31
–
–
–
–
25
–
30
–
–
22
–
–
23
27
–
–
33
–
–
32
–
28
–
34
–
6,767
3,965
36,408
3,450
13,225
3,532
18
5,864
431
5,048
3,374
77,324
1,060
3,163
4,737
349
2,883
18,244
7,176
11,437
7
2,217
8,664
906
1,927
12,247
6,564
531
11,278
8,826
11,382
2,156
7,355
987
5,556
749
2,913
3,781
373
367
2,278
–
1,251
1,413
640
1,178
1,160
1,002
864
92
–
198
148
6
13
19
2
22
4
21
50
15
43
17
23
1
35
24
18
46
26
3
12
6
51
28
10
38
30
5
14
42
8
9
7
29
11
37
16
40
25
20
44
45
27
–
32
31
41
33
34
36
39
49
–
47
48
52
Emptyfieldsreflectnodataorprofileavailableatthetime

18. 18
1
2013 latest figures
2
2014 latest figures
GDP
(2015 Estimate)Country Growth
Annual Tourism
VisitorsPopulation
Population
Growth
#9: The Index – Africa GDP, Population & Tourism Growth
$238 Billion
$142 Billion
$10 Billion
$18 Billion
$15 Billion
$3 Billion
$2 Billion
$34 Billion
$2 Billion
$18 Billion
$1 Billion
$14 Billion1
$36 Billion
$38 Billion
$2 Billion
$324 Billion
$14 Billion
$4 Billion
$56 Billion
$22 Billion
$1 Billion
$33 Billion
$20 Billion
$1 Billion
$70 Billion
$1.027 Billion
$2 Billion
$63 Billion
$12 Billion
$5 Billion
$13 Billion
$4 Billion
$12.63 Billion2
$122 Billion
$19 Billion
$13 Billion
$9 Billion
$657 Billion
$9 Billion
$0.34 Billion2
$17 Billion
$2 Billion
$6 Billion
$5.17 Billion2
$350 Billion2
$14 Billion
$64 Billion
$4 Billion
$48.06 Billion2
$5 Billion
$50 Billion
£5.8 Billion
$29 Billion
$14 Billion
$17.94Trillion
$ 3.003Trillion
$82.87 Billion2
38,813,720
19,088,106
10,160,556
2,155,784
18,365,124
10,395,931
538,535
23,130,708
5,277,959
11,412,107
766,865
4,662,446
77,433,744
22,848,944
810,179
86,895,096
722,254
6,380,803
96,633,456
1,672,597
1,925,527
25,758,108
11,474,383
1,693,398
45,010,056
1,942,008
4,092,310
6,244,174
23,201,926
17,377,468
16,455,903
3,516,806
1,331,155
32,987,206
24,692,144
2,198,406
17,466,172
177,155,760
12,337,138
190,428
13,635,927
91,650
5,743,725
10,428,043
48,375,644
11,562,695
35,482,232
1,419,623
49,639,136
7,351,374
10,937,521
35,918,916
14,638,505
13,771,721
318,892,096
63,742,976
–
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cape Verde
Cameroon
Central African Rep
Chad
Comoros
Congo, Rep of
Congo, Dem. Rep of
Cote d’Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
united States
Great Britain
Dubai
1.88%
2.78%
2.81%
1.26%
3.05%
3.28%
1.39%
2.6%
2.13%
1.92%
1.87%
1.94%
2.5%
1.96%
2.23%
1.84%
2.54%
2.3%
2.89%
1.94%
2.23%
2.19%
2.63%
1.93%
2.11%
0.34%
2.52%
3.08%
2.62%
3.33%
3%
2.26%
0.66%
1.02%
2.45%
0.67%
3.28%
2.47%
2.63%
1.89%
2.48%
0.87%
2.33%
1.75%
-0.48%
4.12%
1.78%
1.14%
2.8%
2.71%
0.92%
3.24%
2.88%
4.36%
0.77%
0.54%
–
2013 2,733,000
2013 650,000
2013 231,000
2012 1,614,000
2013 218,000
–
2013 503,000
2012 817,000
2012 65,000
2013 100,000
2006 29,000
2013 343,000
2012 167,000
2013 380,000
2013 60,000
2013 9,174,000
–
–
2013 681,000
–
2013 171,000
2013 994,000
2013 56,000
–
2013 1,434,000
2013 433,000
–
–
2013 196,000
2012 770,000
2013 142,000
–
2013 993,000
2013 10,046,000
2013 1,886,000
2013 1,176,000
2013 123,000
2012 486,000
2013 864,000
2013 12,000
2013 1,000,000
2013 230,000
2014 44,000
–
2013 9,537,000
–
2013 591,000
2013 968,000
2013 1,063,000
2014 282,000
2013 6,200,000
2013 1,200,000
2014 947,000
2013 1,800,000
2013 69,900,000
2013 31,000,000
2014 13,200,000
-18.77%
-9.24%
4.54%
-4.53%
-14.13%
–
-1.82%
10.41%
8.45%
18.03%
-93.33%
8.04%
12.56%
19.32%
4.76%
4.72%
–
–
11.55%
–
-9.61%
9.05%
-69%
–
-13.70%
59.87%
–
–
11.70%
3.14%
15.47%
–
4.42%
2.46%
0.73%
2%
8.88%
19%
26.15%
33.33%
9.09%
0.86%
-62.96%
–
0.12%
–
13.59%
23.17%
29.13%
-20%
-1.97%
7.69%
5.30%
5.26%
–
6.04%
9.88%
7.69%
Emptyfieldsreflectnodataorprofileavailableatthetime

19. 19
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
#9: The Index – VENDS Africa Tourism Growth vs. Ranking
Annual Tourism GrowthCountry Tourist Board
Ranking
0.12%
0.86%
4.72%
4.42%
-13.70%
29.13%
2%
-4.53%
26.15%
-62.96%
-1.97%
-9.61%
5.30%
11.70%
7.69%
0.73%
19.32%
9.09%
5.26%
-18.77%
9.05%
-69%
11.55%
3.14%
23.17%
59.87%
19%
-20%
2.46%
4.76%
8.88%
-93.33%
4.54%
10.41%
–
–
–
15.47%
13.59%
–
–
–
-9.24%
-14.13%
-1.82%
18.03%
–
–
33.33%
–
–
South Africa
The Seychelles Islands
EgyptTravel
Mauritius
Magical Kenya
TanzaniaTourist Board
Namibia
BotswanaTourism
RwandaTourism
Visit Sierra Leone
TourismTunisia
VisitThe Gambia
ZambiaTourism
MadagascarTourisme
Visit uganda
Visit Mozambique
Côte d’IvoireTourisme
Au Senegal
ZimbabweTourism
Algeria
GhanaTravel
Papua New GuineaTravel
EthopiaTourism
Visit Malawi
The Kingdom of Swaziland
Visit Lesotho
Come to Nigeria
TogoTourisme
Visit Morocco
Visit Djibouti
NigerTourisme
Comoros Islands
BeninTourisme
CameroonTourist
Le Gabon
Libya
Visit Burundi
MaliTourism
SudTourism
Eritrea
Liberia
Mauriitania
AngolaTravel andTours
Burkina
CaboVerde
Chad Now
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea Bissau Republic
SaoTome e Principe
Visit Somalia
SudTourism (South Sudan)
Emptyfieldsreflectnodataorprofileavailableatthetime

20. 20
There are several key principles
to keep in mind when seeking to
build a tourism-focused social
media presence in Africa.
1. SIZE DOESN’T COuNT
While it is true that, the larger an
economy, the greater its social media
potential, the actualisation of this
potential is not uniform across Africa.
Smaller destinations have been able to
build larger and more engaging profiles,
leaving several stronger economies
lagging behind. In social media success, it
is neither a destination’s size nor its
resources but its tourist entities’
strategies, effort and commitment that
make all the difference.
2. ExCEPTIONS ARE THE RuLE
There are no simple answers in Africa.
Social media performance does not
translate consistently into increased
tourism growth – at least, not in any
definitive way.The outcome depends on
the destination itself and the geopolitical
and other contexts within which that
destination finds itself.
Africa’s countries are so diverse and its
circumstances so dynamic that we can’t
examine social media, tourism and travel-
related variables in a vacuum.
For instance, concerns about security and
economic stability are causing some
African countries to see a reduction in
international arrivals. Other common
difficulties include low international
openness and low environmental
sustainability – dimensions on which
almost all African countries appear to
perform well below the international
average.
3. BASICS BEFORE BRILLIANCE
Reach, frequency, engagement,
responsiveness and richness in social
media are all very well without the basics,
which include infrastructure, connectivity,
digital literacy, training, and strategy. As
social media is a relatively new item on
the agenda for most African tourist
destinations, the only way to sustainably
draw on its potential is to get the building
blocks in place first.
4. FACEBOOK IS A BEHEMOTH
In Africa it’s not about the sexy new
technology; the emerging media formats;
the disruptive platforms. It’s about tried-
and-tested Facebook, which exerts
unrivalled influence over social media in
Africa.
Bellinda Carreira, Executive Head:
Interactive Marketing at Standard Bank,
says that, “The speed of growth of
Facebook in some African markets has
been unprecedented. Facebook has also
invested in improving its feature phone
version and made this available to
advertisers, which is changing the way
many organisations reach people… and
access markets.”
Granted, social media platforms like
Twier do have niche roles to play, but
Facebook is the winner. (And we shouldn’t
under-estimate Google+.)
5. MOBILE IS ON THE RISE
Because travel itself is mobile by nature,
it is lile wonder that mobile
technologies can prompt huge changes in
tourists and tourism businesses.What’s
more, given that travel encompasses
highly personal and subjective
experiences, it lends itself perfectly to
the use of mobile social media.
#10: Lessons to be Learned – VENDS’ Commentary
Although Africa is the world’s least
mobile-penetrated continent, this is
changing. Mobile penetration in 2013
stood at 17%.The experts predict 386
million unique mobile subscribers in sub-
Saharan Africa by the end of 2016, and
penetration of 37% in the same region by
2020. Moreover, those in the know
suggest that the mobile revolution will
have as profound an effect on the African
continent as the industrial revolutions
that changed history.
6. LANGuAGE IS POWER
Only 8% of the world’s 7.2 billion
inhabitants speak English as a first
language.Yet travel statistics tell us, for
example, that Chinese visits to South
Africa year-on-year are five-fold higher
than those of any other nationality.
Elsewhere in Africa this is all the more
true and must begin to change, so that
destinations can compellingly market
themselves to billions of users who may
not be active in English, but have huge
spending power.
7. THE POTENTIAL IS ENORMOuS
If one word emerges clearly from this
research, it’s ‘potential’. Enhanced
presence on social media can only help to
spread the awareness of the wonders of
Africa, rather than focusing on the
region’s maladies.What’s more, the great
benefits of social media tend to extend
to the surrounding services that
accompany booming online trade in
tourism. In short, the opportunities are
enormous, but so too is the headway to
be made.

21. VENDS is the world’s leading
travel and tourism social
media content network.
Our aim is to help brands and businesses
to connect directly with hundreds of
millions of consumers through social
media.
TheVENDS channel matrix covers
hundreds of social media sites, each
themed in the destination and lifestyle
sectors. Our engaging content is
published in 12 languages on eight social
media platforms to audiences spanning
the globe.
VENDS
Vends has offices in Abu Dhabi , CapeTown
and London. For further info contact
info@vendsmedia.com or visit our web site
at www.vendsmedia.com
©2016VENDS
21