Armed with her mobile phone , Temiloluwa Akinremi embarks on her daily online routine , scouring the internet to keep up-to-date with what 's happening in her city of Lagos , Nigeria . But these days , along with her daily dose of news and e-mail , Akinremi 's web expedition also involves one of her favorite pastimes : shopping . `` I go online every day , '' says Akinremi , a 26-year-old store manager , `` to check for something , to just see if I can get whatever I want to buy . Online shopping saves you time and money because it is cheaper and fast , '' she adds . Akinremi is among a growing generation of young , internet-savvy Africans who have embraced new technology , driving efforts in the continent to bridge the gap between the virtual and real worlds . According to the International Telecommunication Union ( ITU ) , internet-user penetration in sub-Saharan Africa has grown from 0.5 % in 2000 to 10.6 % last year . Although the figure is still far behind the world average of about 30 % , an increasing number of Africans are becoming more familiar with online shopping . Both the proliferation of mobile phones and the rollout of faster internet networks -- like the fiber-optic cables launched in areas such as east Africa -- have helped the expansion of e-commerce activities in countries such as Nigeria , South Africa and Kenya . In South Africa , 51 % of those with access to the internet are shopping online , according to a 2011 MasterCard Worldwide survey . In Kenya , a recent survey by TNS Research International and the Kenya ICT Board found that 18 % and 24 % of the 1,700 respondents go online to purchase music and movies , and electronic books . In Nigeria , Africa 's most populous country , internet penetration is at about 28 % , according to ITU figures , boosted by the rapid growth in the country 's telecoms sector . In recent years , the number of mobile cellular subscriptions has skyrocketed from 30,000 in 2000 to over 87 million in 2010 . Nigeria 's untapped mobile market . Yet , the country 's online buying culture is still in its infancy . `` While internet usage has hugely increased in Nigeria over the past few years , the online shopping market is still quite small by world standards , '' says Loy Okezie , founder of Techloy.com , a Lagos-based technology news and research startup . `` One would expect the Nigerian online shopping market to be huge and highly lucrative -- instead , the market is still at an infant stage , although with huge potential to explode in the next five years , '' he adds . It is this big potential that has prompted the emergence of a new crop of internet developers in the country , eager to tap the money-making opportunities available online . One of them is Sim Shagaya , a Nigerian technology entrepreneur who has founded DealDey , a Groupon style group-buying site that offers its members in Lagos discounted deals on a range of products and services . Every day DealDey sends an email to customers like Akinremi with all the latest discounts such as restaurant and spa offers . If the required amount of customers is reached , members receive a coupon along with details about their purchase 's collection . Shagaya , who has also worked for Google and RealNetworks , says the model has struck a chord with customers looking to make the most out of the benefits of online shopping -- DealDey plans to expand to Abuja , Nigeria 's capital , and claims to have over 50,000 members since its launch in March , adding about 1,000 people per day , Shagaya says . Yet , promoting e-commerce in a country with high internet costs , slow connectivity and a bad reputation for online scams does not come without its challenges . Shagaya says that building a strong logistics infrastructure is necessary for the growth of e-commerce in developing countries . For that reason DealDey has invested in in-house systems as well as pick-up points where customers can collect their items . `` If you start an internet business in Nigeria , it 's not about a web browser or a mobile phone browser , '' he says . `` Many times the internet is an enabler of a business but you still need an offline component , strong logistics , you still need to be able to have a physical presence in front of the developing country customer to keep that customer thinking that you are real and are here for the long-run . '' Analysts say that a major problem confronting users in the country is the lack of a convenient and reliable electronic payment service that enables consumers to make payment for goods bought online -- the penetration of debit and credit cards is still low and in many cases online shoppers are still required to physically go to the bank and make a deposit to confirm their purchase . Okezie notes that Nigerian consumers with reliable internet access are still skeptical about shopping online , since there 's a feeling that such transactions are risky and prone to fraud . `` Consumers hardly want to make payments for goods via an online platform , especially since they would n't like to give out their personal details on the internet for fear of identity theft and other related issues , '' he says . `` Most people still prefer to visit their favorite retail shops and make their purchases , where payments are usually made with cash , '' adds Okezie . Samuel Abdulazeez , head of Nigerian operations for Kalahari , a South Africa-based online retailer that expanded last year in Nigeria and Kenya , says that shifting consumer behavior toward e-commerce and building trust is a gradual process . `` The experience has been that when people come in , they try to test with a little amount of order and then when we deliver to them they consider to buy and increase their amount , '' says Abdulazeez . `` That shows us that a lot of people have that fear . '' Yet , despite all the challenges , analysts believe Nigeria 's e-commerce sector has the potential to take off within the next few years as the market continues to develop at a fast pace . `` I think that Nigerians would eventually embrace online shopping as long as it offers them an easy , safe and convenient way to shop online , '' says Okezie . And for some young shoppers like Akinremi , e-commerce is here to stay . `` Online shopping has already become a success story in Nigeria , especially amongst the youth of today , '' she says .
A new crop of entrepreneurs are keen to exploit the potential of Africa 's online market . However , high internet usage and growing concerns over privacy are some of the challenges . Nigeria has one of the highest percentages of Internet users in Africa .