Popular social network Facebook has been ranked the most common mobile phone application among a range of nine features measured in five African countries.

A research report titled "Mobile Africa 2015" found that 48% of mobile phone users in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda use their devices for Facebook.

The report was compiled by mobile surveying company GeoPoll and, leading technology analysis organisation, World Wide Worx.

The study surveyed 3,500 mobile phone users in five of Africa's major markets.

In terms of the survey internet browsing via phones now stands at 40% across the markets surveyed.

And the most common phone activity by country is Facebook, and Africa's most populous nation Nigeria had the highest use with 58%.

In South Africa and Ghana the social network reached 41% and 54%, and 44% both in Kenya and Uganda.

Other popular features measured include sending an SMS, listening to the radio and taking photos all recorded 45%, 41% and 37% respectively.

Also using instant messaging, playing games, downloading apps and Twitter had 36%, 32%, 26% and 13% users respectively. 

Arthur Goldstuck, managing director of World Wide Worx said, "Africa will always hold surprises in technology uptake, and continue to underline the reality that every country on the continent is different, and each will reflect different market dynamics."

Last year Facebook announced that it had 100 million monthly users in Africa.

And since launching in more than ten years ago Facebook has grown into the world's biggest social network with 1.23 billion monthly active users.