Unstructured Supplementary Data (USSD) service is a communication protocol that is still widely used in African countries. This phenomenon is not seen in many other countries or continents, as most have adopted smartphone apps as a replacement for this simpler protocol. In South Africa, it is still used to perform functions regardless of a person's socioeconomic status or access to smartphones. Functions like accessing mobile network services, simple banking, and making contact with the government are done through USSD instead of smartphone apps. Most recently, the South African government, in partnership with GovChat and Praekelt, implemented COVIDConnect, a service that allows citizens to find out if they have COVID-19 and receive medical advice. While the government also provides this service through a WhatsApp bot, the inclusion of the USSD option is a testament to the preferred use of this age-old process.
What is the USSD?
Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) protocol that has been around since the 1990s. It works by sending a request, in the form of a code such as *100# from a door phone USSD link to the USSD application, which returns a response to the user's phone. The user can respond to these prompts by entering numbers that request specific answers to more detailed queries. This is done on the mobile network because the code is sent directly to a computer on the network dedicated to USSD which will send this information in both directions. Since it has simple features, it works easily on an all-in-one phone, and even with a black and white screen, since most USSD apps are formatted to be as simple and monochrome as possible. It only requires a network connection, and when it's not free, it uses a fraction of a cent, unlike SMS which is more expensive. It also does not require internet connection and space on the phone, as there is no need to download it.
South Africa, smartphones and internet connection
South Africa has very good smartphone penetration, particularly in Africa, but this does not reflect overall mobile usage in the country. According to the State of the ICT Sector in South Africa 2020 report by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the smartphone penetration rate for 2019 reached 91,2%, a significant jump from 81.7. % in 2018. However, this data does not differentiate smartphones by user. So this 91% does not mean that 90% of South Africans have a smartphone as some probably have more than one, some only have multifunction phones and others (albeit a very small percentage). don't have. The report also claims that South Africa's internet coverage has improved. The report explains how national coverage for 3G increased to 99.7% and 4G/LTE to 92.8%. These statistics are a testament to the interest and adoption of apps like WhatsApp, which is considered South Africa's favorite messaging platform and most popular app overall. Statista reported that as of February 2020, 58% of South African mobile phone owners were using the app. So why continue to use USSD with so much smartphone adoption, internet coverage, and app usage? The answers seem to be about data, its simplicity and accessibility.
The data problem
South Africa's battle over data costs is vast and ongoing. The British company Cable.co.uk published a report that ranked South Africa 148th out of 228 countries for the high price of mobile broadband. While other countries like New Zealand and Canada have more expensive data, South Africa ranks among the most expensive data in Africa on average. These high prices are a problem for many South Africans who cannot afford around R99 for 1 GB. While there are cheaper 30-day WhatsApp plans out there, which make using apps more affordable, if given the option of completing some action by spending data or getting what you need for free or nearly free, most would choose free.
Simplicity and accessibility
The simplicity of the USSD platform is a great advantage. It's fast and efficient to find your data balance with a simple code instead of browsing the service providers app. Eldrid Jordaan, CEO of GovChat, explained that COVIDConnect services are offered on both WhatsApp and via USSD, with USSD being the more popular of the two. According to Jordaan, Praekelt, who manages the testing service portion of COVIDConnect, said that at least 60% of interactions through this service are through USSD. "Although the platforms we build are cross-platform, the USSD is still the most widely used," Jordaan said. As a result, the USSD is likely here to stay. The popular platform has been in development since its first iteration and will become more powerful as its uses expand. The introduction of chatbots in USSD already extends its purpose to a possible two-way communication space instead of a simple input-output process.