Smartphone shipments in South Africa grew 73% year-on-year in the third quarter and were up 44% from the previous three months as major Chinese manufacturers pushed their presence in the continent’s most advanced economy, Counterpoint Research said.
Although Chinese manufactures are eyeing Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets more broadly, Counterpoint said South Africa was seen as particularly attractive due to higher income levels and better connectivity infrastructure.
Chinese phone manufacturers such as HONOR, Xiaomi (1810.HK), opens new tab and Transsion (688036.SS), opens new tab are launching multiple products at lower price points to accelerate migration from more basic feature phones, Counterpoint added.
Smartphone shipments reached the highest level since 2021 in the quarter, just before the global economic slowdown started, Counterpoint said.
“South Africa is among the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the MEA region. As the nation’s economic situation is recovering, Chinese original equipment manufacturers are aggressively trying to capture demand,” Counterpoint’s senior research analyst Yang Wang said.
Still, Samsung led the market during the quarter despite the stiff competition. It was the leading brand across all price segments, with A-series devices continuing to drive volumes, Counterpoint said…Read more
