The top three smartphone markets by unit share were South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, with Tecno and Itel dominating the industry.
The switch from feature phones to smartphones and the influx of more affordable models are expected to drive a strong recovery in the African smartphone market in 2023, according to experts. Shipments to the continent fell by 18% in 2022, severely hurting the continent’s smartphone market.
Reduced smartphone shipments to the continent were the result of the market being hit by a decline in consumer demand, inflation, and global economic uncertainty. The largest year-over-year drops, 63% and 33%, were seen in Egypt and Tunisia, both of which had import bans on mobile phones.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the top three smartphone markets by unit share were South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. Chinese manufacturers Tecno and Itel dominated the market, shipping 82% of all smartphones to the continent at prices under $200.
Despite the decline, analysts believe that the African smartphone market will significantly rebound in 2023. Dr. Ramazan Yavuz, a senior research manager at IDC Middle East and Africa, bases his optimism on the shift from feature phones to smartphones, the expansion of the continent’s young and tech-savvy population, and the entry of more affordable models.
While this was going on, samsung economic uncertainty continued to rule the global smartphone shipment market, shipping 260.9 million units and claiming a 21.6% market share in 2022. Despite posting a 4.0% year-over-year dip, Apple came in second place, shipping 226.4 million units with an 18.8% market share.
Despite the difficulties, Africa’s young and computer-savvy population offers tech companies significant potential in the years to come. With more cheap models hitting the market and a return to normalcy in the North African markets, the continent’s bright future is expected to spur growth in the medium term.
