Placing and receiving of orders: What Kenyans are using most

A recent Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) survey shows Kenyan consumers increasingly use mobile apps and social messaging platforms to place and receive orders, reflecting a shift in e-commerce behaviour.

Mobile applications accounted for 44.8 % of all online order transactions, while WhatsApp and other social media channels made up about 20 %, overtaking traditional website portals.

Access to online shopping remains overwhelmingly mobile-first, with over 70 % of respondents using phones for e-commerce activities compared to less than 12 % on laptops.

The findings highlight the growing dominance of smartphones and conversational commerce in Kenya’s retail landscape.