Symbian, J2ME, Android and iPhone are the most common platforms for African developers, mainly because Nokia is the most common handset and J2ME is compatible with most handsets.

"Africans are beginning to excel in mobile application development simply because it's often all they code for," said Jon Gosier, CEO of Appfrica, based in Uganda.

MXit, a mobile chat platform in South Africa has become an important platform for developers as many companies turn to developers for company-specific applications.

"We are currently working with MXiTelematics, MWeb, CNN and a couple of other companies on other mobile applications. The biggest platform people are targeting is J2ME because of its wide use in South Africa," said Leonard Ah Kun, the co-founder of Cobi Interactive

The entry of SEACOM and TEAMS fiber optic cables has forced bandwidth prices down, although not as cheap as the cables owners had touted. For developers, the bandwidth has allowed more creativity and innovation. Online videos and tutorials have become important sources for developers.