Mobile service provider for sports and entertainment content, Telecoming partners with The Movement Empire, an online platform offering exercise programmes, to deliver on-demand workout content to mobile users in South Africa.
The agreement enables users to access fitness sessions, ranging from low-impact workouts to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and yoga-inspired routines, through local mobile networks.
This move is part of Telecoming’s strategy to expand its presence in the home fitness market. Including The Movement Empire’s content allows the company to diversify its offerings while catering to the growing interest in convenient, mobile-based fitness solutions.
The company has been operating in the Southern African nation since 2015 and sees this partnership as a way to further engage with local consumers by offering fitness content that is accessible on-the-go.
Physical inactivity in South Africa
The partnership comes at a time when physical inactivity remains a significant issue in South Africa.
A World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2022 suggests that physical inactivity could result in almost 500 million new cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity by 2030. This could cost the global economy $27 billion annually if no action is taken to encourage more exercise.
In South Africa, efforts to promote physical activity have had little effect. Studies show that over 38% of South Africans are not sufficiently active, and physical activity levels in the country have not improved since 2001. This lack of movement mirrors global trends, where an estimated 1.4 billion adults are considered inactive.
Nonetheless, South Africa’s fitness market is growing despite challenges. Statista projected the country’s health and fitness sector to generate $10.77 million in revenue in 2022, with an annual growth rate of 3.83% expected through 2029, reaching $12.38 million.
Telecoming and The Movement Empire are capitalising on this expanding market by offering mobile users easy access to several workout programmes.
A study shows that before the pandemic, in 2019, 31% of adults expressed interest in gyms, but only 22% participated in gym activities. By early 2021, interest dropped to 26%, with just 19% engaging in gym activities. Additionally, 31% of people reported not exercising at all. However, by delivering fitness programmes directly to mobile devices, this partnership can improve these statistics.
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Deliver these services based on data
According to DataReportal, at the beginning of 2024, South Africa had about 45.34 million people using the Internet, which means about 74.7% of the population had access to it. Besides, there were 118.6 million mobile phone connections, which is more than double the total population — about 195.4%. This means many people have more than one mobile phone or connection!
With more people seeking flexible ways to stay active, mobile fitness solutions are well-positioned to help combat physical inactivity in the country. Thus, Telecoming’s partnership with The Movement Empire highlights the shift toward mobile-based fitness services.
As physical inactivity remains a significant health risk, providing accessible and engaging fitness content through mobile networks could be a key solution while also supporting the growth of the fitness market in South Africa.
Overall, this partnership allows Telecoming to deliver The Movement Empire’s workout content to a broader audience, making fitness more accessible and convenient through mobile devices.
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