South African mobile network operator MTN and Naspers owned online price comparison company PriceCheck are launching a co-branded app in Nigeria this week.

MTN and PriceCheck already have a co-branded app for the South African market which was launched in March this year.

The application enables MTN network users to compare prices of goods and commodities through an online directory integrated in the co-branded app.

Now, the two companies are targeting Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria, with the app.

“We will be sending out a news release on this shortly. But, yes, the deal is already signed and we are launching a co-branded app in Nigeria,” PriceCheck chief executive officer, Andre de Wet, confirmed to ITWeb Africa.

The PriceCheck CEO spoke to ITWeb Africa after his presentation together with MTN chief commercial officer Pieter Verkade at the Mondato Africa Summit on Mobile Financial Services in Sandton, Johannesburg on Tuesday.

PriceCheck’s de Wet said mobile commerce is slowly taking shape in Africa, although its effectiveness and full integration is only likely to be felt in the next two years.

Rough estimates show that on a monthly average PriceCheck receives in excess of 1.5 million unique shoppers searching for products on its web and mobile sites.

MTN; meanwhile, has over 50 million subscribers in Nigeria.

MTN and PriceCheck then are planning to ride on this growing trend in the usage of mobile sites by the shopping populace in South Africa as well as other African countries.

De Wet further told delegates at the Mondato Africa Summit that less than 1% of retail happens online, yet as much as 40% of the buying decision process starts on mobile devices.