1. mLearning Research Ghana
Preliminary Findings
October 2011
L.Dawes, N.D‟Elia

2. Ghana Research Structure
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
17
Expert Interviews
Urban Rural Urban
3
In-depth Interviews
Qualitative Quantitative
Review Research Tools
Rural Urban
8
Focus Groups
Urban Rural
300
Quantitative Surveys
Mobile
1,000
COMPLETED
Survey

3. In 2011, Ghana‟s GDP growth was the 13.6% - the fastest
growing economy in Africa and second fastest globally,
however…….
Unemployment and underemployment remain major problems,
reflecting the failure of past economic growth to generate substantial formal employment in the private sector,
and the lack of job-relevant skills of the majority of the workforce. Ghana‟s labour market is still characterised
by the dominance of employment in agriculture and a large informal economy. Government figures indicate
that currently two out of three working adults are employed. The national unemployment rate is estimated at
only 3% by government sources. The low rate of unemployment in the country disguises the high levels of
unemployment and underemployment inherent in the large informal sector estimated at 90% of the
population.
The government‟s definition of unemployment excludes the large numbers of jobless people who may be
available for work but do not necessarily seek work, for various reasons. Given the large informal sector
where the genuine unemployed are engaging in any economic activity simply to survive, concerted effort is
needed to reduce the numbers in employment that may be considered as vulnerable, as well as the “working
poor”.
Daily Monitor

4. The „missing link‟ between Education and Employment
High inflation is causing strikes in
universities and schools
The current government‟s Education Strategy
Plan (2003-15) provides free and compulsory
basic education aimed at achieving universal
primary education by 2015 which has led to
improvements in various key education
indicators. For example, government figures
show primary school gross enrolment stands at
94.9%.
Beyond this, the education system appears to
be failing to provide the relevant knowledge
base for learners at all levels to compete in
today's global economy. There is a lack of
technically prepared and vocationally trained
youths with many studying for more corporate
jobs and demand for these roles is outstripping
supply.
“Essentially, the system has failed to provide an
adequate knowledge base, relevant skills and a
positive attitude towards work.” Prof. T. P.
Manus Ulzen

5. Expresso
CDMA
2012(?)
n. connections 10.2M 2.8M 4.3M 3.6M -
0.2M
Ghana has been a pioneer in African telecommunications: It launched the first cellular mobile network in sub-Saharan Africa in 1992, it was among the first
countries on the continent to be connected to the Internet and to introduce ADSL broadband services, and it led the way in market liberalisation and
deregulation when it privatised Ghana Telecom (GT) as early as 1996. Since then, Ghana has become one of the continent‟s most vibrant mobile markets
with now six competing operators, including regional heavyweights such as MTN, Vodafone, Millicom (Tigo) and Zain which was taken over by Bharti of
India in 2010.
While the voice market is approaching saturation at more than 75% penetration in mid-2011, enormous potential in both subscriber and ARPU terms exists
for the provision of 3G mobile broadband services which have surpassed existing ADSL services within a few months of their launch.

6. There is a perceived price war, but
does it really exist….
The price war going on in Ghana may not be a direct war in terms of drastic reductions in local call rates but in the
form of tariff plans, which promise value for money. “A closer look at, and comparative analysis of some of the plans
would show they do not deliver any real value to the customer as promised in the loud ads and commercials, which
are designed to cause people to rush into patronizing those offers long before realising they are victims of marketing
gimmicks.” Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona, Adom Radio News Editor, Ghana
However, could this all change with
Glo entering the market?
Nigerian based Glo plan to enter the market on November 17 2011 after a long awaited launch promising “a
comprehensive suite of high quality and reliable voice and data services and very competitive rates that would
change the telecommunications landscape in the country”. Close monitoring of the mobile market in Ghana is vital as
new pricing structures, offers and technology will likely change the current landscape dramatically.

7. Per minute Per minute Per minute Per minute
Voice
MTN Zone Friends and Family Value packages Bonus credit
MTN Family & Friends Free nights calls IDD/Hajj bundle Stop the clock
IDD bundle Free2Bu Family & Friends Call Me Back
Bonus credit IDD Free weekends Intl Reload
Bonus credit Text a Lot
SMS SMS bundle Magic SMS Conference call FB SMS
Google SMS
Voice SMS
Notify me
Value packages
SMS Gift & Collect
Data iFest Mobile broadband Mobile broadband Smartbrowse
Payback
Airtel Money Tigo Cash
VAS and Other MobileMoney Caller Tunes Loyalty reward
Tigo SOS
My Special Number Loyalty Program Credit transfer
Colour Ring
DSTV Mobile M2U Tigo Ads
Cash Mania Family Care Insurance
Cheap deals on voice - MNOs are trying to gain market share by offering better deals
Affordable data bundle - under 1GB cost per MB is between 0.02 and 0.03 GHS
3 Mobile Money Services - MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money and Tigo Cash
Number Portability - Launched by operators to capture customers „loyal‟ to their number
Innovative VAS products and offerings - Loyalty Scheme, Ads, Insurance, Number selection, Prizes, etc.

8. Trying to overturn the status quo
Mobile Money has not been
14.4Gs/min successful yet
with double bonus
Innovation is the other secret
8Gs/min weapon
Data has been growing
consistently in the recent years
6Gs-9Gs/min especially in urban areas
7Gs/min 3Gs/min

9. Devices
RLG, with offices in Ghana, Nigeria, The
Gambia, and China, is is a Ghanaian-
owned limited liability company engaged in
the production of communications
equipment such as mobile handsets, 320 GHS
electronic notebooks, tablets, laptops, LCD Samsung Galaxy Mini
TV monitors and more. 200 US$
Grey market handsets are
very polular also in Ghana
~50%
Single SIM Single SIM
Single SIM Data Android
Flashlight Bluetooth 521 MB
Radio FM Camera/Video GPS
Data card Data card
Ovi etc.
38 GHS 80 GHS 280 GHS
Nokia 1280 Nokia C1 Huawei IDEOS
24 US$ 50 US$ 175 US$
All Mobile Operators provided branded basic
handsets

10. rlg Communications is a Ghanaian-owned company engaged in the production of communications equipment such as mobile handsets,
electronic notebooks, tablets, laptops, LCD TV monitors and more.
rlg is also engaged in capacity building and training programmes in collaboration with Ghana‟s Ministry of Youth and Sports as part of the
National Youth Employment Programmes (NYEP).
Competitive prices „Proudly yours‟ Training local youth
Mobile Laptop Tablet LCD
r series g series l series
ALREADY IN COMMERCE TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2012

11. Approach to MNOs
The is a great pride in Ghana and many local businesses feel that it
is „their time’. “We are not East Africa. It’s time that we started looking
more closely at the West African market and what services will work
here.” Nana Osei Afrifa, Innovation Manager, MTN Ghana
MNOs are looking for the competitive edge and services such as
learning, agri, and health are being investigated with keen interest.
MNOs are trying to understand why Mobile Money services are not
working in Ghana and how to increase the uptake of other financial
services. Financial Literacy is seen as one of these barriers.
“In Africa, fewer than 5% of the poor have any type of insurance policy at all. And yet, low-income people need insurance the most.
While the poor are acutely aware of the risks they face to life, property, and health, they are usually unaware of how formal financial
services can benefit them. Financial literacy is essential to overcoming this service gap so the demand among the poor for effective
risk mitigation can be satisfied by high-quality, formal insurance products. Financial literacy also provides power to the poor, ensuring
that financial service providers offer products and services at high quality.” Peter Gross, MicroEnsure

12. m4d Initiatives
Content and
EpiSurveyor M-Insurance interactive Marketing Learning Solutions MOTECH
Services
Pre-loading handsets with content Mobile Technology for Community
Camfed is building an “end-to-end Health (MOTECH) initiative in
onto some of the grey market
digitalised data collection and Provide microensurance that is November 2008 to determine how
handsets for select manufacturers Ad-Connect have developed a
analysis system”, designed to give purchased and managed via any mobile phones could be used to
Developed Interactive Text games platform that delivers classroom
communities the tools and the skills mobile handset. Currently working improve care for pregnant mothers
similar to TV series “The Amazing content to more than 10,000,
to track resources, monitor education with both MTN and Tigo in Ghana and newborns in rural Ghana.
Race” whereby contestants have to students via feature phones. The
quality and demand accountability and also launched in Tanzania. M- Funded by a grant from the Bill &
answer a question to move on to the system has the ability to track
from government and schools Insurance has reached over 250,000 Melinda Gates Foundation, this is a
next stage – incorrect entries are quizzes and tests through results,
through the use of live data. It allows users in Ghana alone. Currently collaborative initiative between
penalised with a time delay. The and track the number of times a
tracking of expenditure on individual investigating the ways in which Grameen Foundation, Columbia
nature of the questions can be specific piece of content has been
girls‟ entitlements and ensure that all financial literacy can be delivered in University‟s Mailman School of
themed (e.g. geography, history). downloaded, or which users are
items reach their designated target order to promote uptake of the Public Health, the Ghana Health
Work with MNOs operating in sub- downloading content.
whilst following up on any service. Service, and the Dodowa Health
Saharan Africa providing content
irregularities. Research Center.
provisioning & content promotion.

13. Expert Interviews
MNOs
IT
M4D
NGOs/IA
Academia
UX
Market
Research

14. Expert Interview Insights
West Africa is a very different market to the rest of Africa
and the time has come to focus efforts on local
initiatives
90% of those working are employed in the informal
sector
Financial Literacy is seen as a barrier to uptake of
mobile money and other financial services

15. Expert Interview Insights
The Last Mile – There is a divide between the
north and south, services need to be designed to
reach as many underserved as possible
Ghanaians are used to things not working, they are hesitant towards
change

16. Expert Interview Insights
Be realistic: Rural migrants often believe that
more jobs and social opportunities are
available in urban areas, but once in the cities
they find themselves without a job and with
limited social networks.
This can lead to an influx of youths seeking work in the
sex trade and other illegal industries. For example, when
asked what he does when going online,18 y.o Ernest
claimed he „commits fraud‟ and „tricks foreigners‟. This is
something becoming more common as often it provides a
seemingly „easy‟ or lucrative way out of an impoverished
life.

17. Focus Group Setup Learnings
8 Focus Groups: Urban/Rural, Low-Med/Med-High Education, Beginner/Techie
Playing an active role helps to draw out better results
15 – 24 is a highly influential age group and observation is required to help determine the most accurate results
Counter productive participants can be removed!

18. Focus Group Insights
An even split between those who prefer to learn
in a group and those who prefer to learn alone
The use of mobile data is widespread and can
provide a richer channel to deliver services,
especially in urban areas
People rarely change network providers keeping the same
number from the time they sign up to a network. Number
portability is recently available in the last few months but has
yet to effect any change to this

19. Focus Group Insights
Most youths want to be successful and have a clear picture
of the career they want however…..
There is a lack of understanding the steps required to get to
gain employment. Youths want to be successful and
entrepreneurial but do not know how to achieve these goals.
Word of mouth is the best way to gain employment for most,
however the more corporate jobs exist on Ghanaweb.com

20. Focus Group Insights
Several common professions were identified throughout
the focus groups – Nursing, Accounting, Businessman /
Entrepreneur
Sakawa, a West African subcultures combining internet fraud and juju or
Black Magic, is becoming a bit part of Ghanaian youth culture.
In Accra there are 850k users - 61.24% of the population. Many youths are
spending up to two hours at a time chatting to friends each day on Facebook
– it can‟t be ignored that FB provides an excellent platform to reach youths

21. Isaac
Isaac is 15. He lives in Achimota, Greater
Accra with his mother. His father left
when he was just a young boy and his
mother, Victoria, has since raised him on
her own. Victoria has her own beauty
salon where she can have from just a few
clients each day, sometimes earning just
3GHS (USD1.80) for a day’s work. Isaac
does not have a phone as his mother
cannot afford one for him, however he is
able to use hers on occasion. He has a
Facebook account and when he goes
online to chat with friends, he spends up
to 30 minutes at a time chatting about
maths and other things he has learnt at
school. Isaac loves football and follows
Manchester United. He is a keen studier
with a natural curiosity and thirst for
knowledge. When he grows up, Isaac
wants to be a meteorologist.

22. n.SIM
Mobile Survey
n=1,000 Mobile Data Users
Nokia and Sony-Ericsson represents nearly
50% of the market
Majority of mobile data users are male (82.5%)
What kind of educational services would be of 72% of the respondents have secondary education and
greatest interest to you?
higher
2/3 of the data users are students, 13.5% is unemployed
Only 3% of the respondents use Mobile Money services
86% would definitely/surely be interested in learning
through mobile phones
What kind of employment services would be
of greatest interest to you?
5 most important activities on 5 top content you would be interested in
mobile: 1. Music (63%)
1. Browsing (68%) 2. Education (56%)
2. Voice (64%) 3. Games (51%)
3. SMS (48%) 4. Pictures/Videos (44%)
4. Music (44%) 5. Sport/Entertainment (40%)
5. Games (31%)
Preferred way for learning via mobile:
1. Mobile Internet (75%)
2. SMS (46%)
3. Voice (28%)
4. Apps (27%)
5. Social Networking (22%)