Nairobi, Jan. 7 -- Mobile applications and social media platforms such as WhatsApp are now the primary drivers of e-commerce in Kenya, surpassing traditional websites as the preferred channels for placing and receiving online orders, a new survey shows.

The survey by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) indicates that mobile apps account for 44.8 percent of all order placements and receipts, while online messaging platform WhatsApp has emerged as a major shopping channel at 20.2 percent. This is amid a boom in conversational commerce, where buyers and sellers interact directly.

Mobile apps are a software in smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices for uses such as entertainment, banking, and messaging.

Traditional website...