African online retail store, JUMIA has launched a mobile app for its customers in Kenya, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Nigeria.

To make online shopping easier and totally flexible, the app which is available on Android phones will also help deepen m-commerce penetration in Africa.

The app will offer international known brands and product assortment, fast and intuitive navigation, simple, flexible and secure online payment, push notifications for exclusive updates on new arrivals and special sales, the company said in a statement.

Speaking on the importance of m-commerce to Jumia’s operations in Africa, co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Africa Internet Holding, Jeremy Hodara, said going mobile is not just an additional channel, but would enable the e-commerce company to reach more customers.

Jumia is taking advantage of the enormous opportunity presented by the increasing rate of Smartphone penetration in Sub Saharan Africa.

For example in Nigeria, which is Jumia’s largest African retail market, statistics gathered by the Nigerian Communication Commission stated that there are 120,362,218 mobile subscribers (78 percent of population) and 48,165,033 smartphone users(based on active internet subscriptions in June 2013).

Similar mobile subscription numbers can be found in Kenya (29.8 million mobile subscribers, 69 percent of population), Ivory Coast (18 million, 75 percent of population) and Morocco (38.3 million mobile subscribers, 120 percent – more subscribers than people living in the country).

Africa has continued to witness continouos growth propelled by technology. Commenting on the progress of the continent, MD of DHL Express South Africa, Hennie Heymans recently said that technological growth will continue to increase E-commerce business in Africa.

According to Heymans, increased availability of broadband access, affordable data costs offered by mobile operators and the consistent deployment and development of mobile devices have helped the growth of Africa’s e-commerce industry.