Growing demand for smartphones and tablets in Africa has prompted First National Bank (FNB) to roll-out its banking application and mobile website to seven African nations.

Customers of First National Bank (FNB) in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Tanzania and Mozambique are now set to have access to these digital services from the bank.

FNB currently has 600,000 active users of its banking app in the South African market, the financial institution has revealed.

And according to the bank, the app in Africa is planned to is available for download on Apple, BlackBerry and Android devices.

Meanwhile, the mobile website is also expected to work on all internet enabled cell phones, including smartphones and feature phones.

"Global trends indicate that apps and digital in Africa should not be ignored,” said FNB's Mobile and Connect head of expansion, Michael Kloeck, in a statement.

“We foresee that eventually as supply increases and prices of smart devices fall that more people will have access to these devices to be able to transact using our digital channels.

"We see this as a step in the right direction and preparation for the future of banking in Africa," he added.

Leonard Haynes, chief operating officer of FNB Africa, added: “We are excited to be taking digital banking to these markets and to be empowering our clients with our world class mobile solutions such as the App and Mobi. This is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully towards the banking sector in our African subsidiaries.”

Informa Telecoms & Media analyst Thecla Mbongue has told ITWeb Africa that it's not surprising that FNB has decided to launch its digital banking services to their African operations.

"Obviously the banking penetration in the rest of Africa isn't as high as in the South African market, but you will find that banking customers also require the same services," she said.

"Especially with the adoption of smartphones on the continent," she added.

According to eMarketers’ ‘Global Media Intelligence Report’ released in October, smartphone users in the Middle East and Africa are forecast to make up 21.3% of all handset owners in the region in 2013. This figure is up from just 1.5% in 2009.