INTELLIGENT MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

According to the IDC , the region ’ s smartphone market grew 16.8 % over the same period to 23.4 million units , while the feature phone market was up 11.9 % to 29.9 million units .

IDC stated that Africa ’ s major smartphone markets performed well in Q1 2021 , with the exception of South Africa , where the main vendors faced supply shortages and an economic environment that negatively impacted demand .

Egypt had one of the highest growth rates in the region in Q1 2021 , thanks to strong local demand , the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and major vendors like Samsung and Oppo increasing their shipments into the country .

In West Africa , Nigeria also enjoyed a strong YoY growth rate due to the release of pent-up demand and increasing shipments of Transsion and Samsung devices into the market .

Transsion brands ( Tecno , Infinix , and Itel ) continued to lead Africa ’ s smartphone space in Q1 2021 , with a combined unit share of 44.3 %, followed by Samsung and Oppo with respective shares of 22.9 % and 8.3 %. Transsion brands also dominated the feature phone market , with a combined unit share of 78.7 %, followed by Nokia and Stylo with respective shares of 8.1 % and 1.7 %.

The ultra-low-end price band ( less than US $ 100 ) accounted for 42.0 % of the market ’ s shipments in Q1 2021 , down from 49.6 % in Q1 2020 .

Meanwhile , the low-end price band ( US $ 100 to US $ 200 ) saw its share increase from 35.2 % to 43.3 % over the same period . “ The increased specs and attributes in smartphones are driving prices upwards , as evidenced by the growth of the low-end price band ,” said Taher Abdel-Hameed , Senior Research Analyst , IDC . “ The main vendors , like Transsion , Samsung , Oppo and Xiaomi , all launched new feature-rich models in this price band . These models were well received by channels and customers alike , feeding the growth of low-end price band .”

Looking ahead , IDC expects Africa ’ s smartphone market to grow 5.6 % YoY in unit terms for 2021 as a whole . “ Despite supply shortages impacting mobile phone vendors , the major brands succeeded in broadening their model portfolios and driving growth in their shipments into Africa during Q1 2021 ,” said Ramazan Yavuz , Senior Research Manager , IDC . “ With vaccination programmes expected to accelerate and economies slowly regaining health in the second half of the year , consumer demand is expected to pick up , helping the region ’ s smartphone markets to build on the growth seen in Q1 2021 throughout the remainder of the year .” •

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