Although most African Internet users access a mobile device to go online, many also use desktops at work, at school, or at a cyber café. This post cites data on desktop Internet usage.

African desktop Internet users are extremely browser savvy, at least according to StatCounter data. The folks at Royal Pingdom compiled an analysis of desktop web browser usage by continent for March 1-18, 2013. What they found is African Internet users are the least likely of any region to use Internet Explorer. They’re very likely to use either Chrome or Firefox. The reasons? Google has a strong presence in the most populated areas of Africa. Africa’s web users skew younger than other regions meaning they are more in touch with the latest browsers. Finally, most users have only been online for a couple of years, meaning they have no long-term history with Internet Explorer.

{Pingdom}

The vast majority of web browsers in use are Chrome and Firefox. Chrome’s share of Africa is much higher than that found in North America or in Europe. Firefox’s share of Africa is the highest in the world.

The desktop browser share breakdown:

• Chrome: 39%
• Firefox: 37%
• IE: 18%
• Safari: 3%
• Opera: 2%
• Others: 1%