Opera has introduced its free browser AI, Aria, to Opera Mini, its popular Android-based browser with over 100 million users worldwide. This update brings powerful AI capabilities, including real-time web research, content summarization, and image generation, directly into the browser at no extra cost.
AI Meets South Africa’s Growing Demand
“AI is rapidly becoming an integral part of the daily internet experience, and we’re seeing a great interest in AI solutions among South Africans, so bringing Aria to Opera Mini is a natural addition to our most-downloaded browser. With the integration of our built-in AI, Aria, we’re excited to explore how AI can further enhance the feature set our South African users rely on every day,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera.
Opera Mini is already known for its unique features, including live football scores and the built-in digital wallet MiniPay, now enhanced with Aria’s AI capabilities.
Tackling High Data Costs in South Africa
While internet access is expanding in South Africa, data affordability remains a major hurdle. According to an Opera survey (March 2025):
- 80% of South Africans say data is too expensive.
- 69% run out of data before month-end.
For years, Opera Mini has helped bridge this gap with:
- Turbo data-saving mode (reduces usage by up to 90%).
- $10 millionin data savings (6M GB saved over 3 years).
- Free data campaigns (3GB/month for MTN users since 2020).
Now, Aria is included in Opera’s free data bundles, ensuring AI access without extra costs—addressing the needs of the 69% of South Africans who would only use AI if it didn’t increase data consumption.
Aria: Opera’s Free, Built-In AI Assistant
Aria integrates seamlessly into Opera Mini, offering:
- AI-powered chat & research
- Text/code generation
- Image creation (via Google’s Imagen3)
- Free access within Opera’s data-saving ecosystem
Powered by Opera’s Composer AI engine (combining OpenAI & Google AI), Aria is ideal for:
- The 24% of South Africans already using AI daily.
- The 59% relying on AI for academic work.
Get Opera Mini with Aria Today
Opera Mini (with Aria) is available for download/update on the Google Play Store.
Why It Matters for South Africa:
- 78% prefer AI from a trusted brand (like Opera).
- 80% want browser-integrated AI tools.
- Free data bundles make Aria truly accessible.
With Aria now in Opera Mini, South Africans can enjoy cutting-edge AI without worrying about data costs, keeping the internet affordable, efficient, and powerful.
Download Opera Mini today and experience AI, optimized for South Africa.
