In South Africa, the most downloaded free smartphone app for iOS and Android is Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp Messenger.
The Wonder Weeks, a best-selling book on baby development, and e-Sword: Bible Study to Go are currently the most downloaded paid apps on Android and iOS.
MyBroadband looked through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to find the most downloaded paid and free apps in South Africa.
Numerous apps were prominent in the top ten lists; popular apps on both mobile operating systems (OSes) were WhatsApp, TikTok, Capitec Bank, Facebook, and Sasol eBirds Southern Africa.
Of note, WhatsApp has risen to the top of both lists of applications that are free. It finished third on iOS and Android in 2022, behind TikTok, Capitec Bank, Lenasa AI: Avatar Photo Editor, and TikTok.
The e-commerce clothing retailer SHEIN seems to have become more well-known in 2023.
In 2022, the app wasn’t listed among the top ten. But it came in sixth on both lists this year.
It’s interesting to note that the ninth most downloaded iOS app, Google’s Gmail app, is among the best free apps available.
“Lite” applications seem to be quite well-liked by Android users; the top ten free apps all include SHAREit Lite, Facebook Lite, and TikTok Lite.
Two paid apps are present in both the iOS and Android lists, although their order is different.
These are Sasol eBirds Southern Africa, which came in third on both lists, and The Wonder Weeks, which ranked first on iOS and sixth on Android.
Among Android users, Wonder Weeks has significantly decreased in popularity. In 2022, it was the most downloaded paid app on the operating system.
Notably, Roberts Bird Guide 2, another app targeted at birders, ranks seventh on the Android list.
The second-most downloaded Android app is designed to improve gaming performance, even though there are no games included in any of the lists.
“The most advanced game booster for optimizing gaming experience,” according to the developer, is what they call Game Booster 4X Faster Pro.
It also extends beyond just games, as indicated by the comments left by a number of users who added any app to the app store and reported a noticeable boost in performance.
The following tables provide a list of the most widely used smartphone apps, both free and paid, for iOS and Android in South Africa.