Chinese smartphones dominate African market as demand for 5G devices grows

The demand for Chinese 5G smartphones across Africa continues to rise, as more countries on the continent keep testing 5G networks and their citizens are upgrading from 4G smartphones to 5G-enabled ones.
Despite the slow pace of 5G network infrastructure development in Africa, the enthusiasm among people across the continent to be part of the next generation of the internet age and what Big Tech foresees will be the global digital economy remains high. To match this demand, 5G smartphone manufacturers are competing on this market with Chinese brands leading the way, according to US-based tech research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). “Shipments of 5G devices increased 26.9% in Q2 2022 and their share of the overall market is growing as major brands launch more flagship 5G devices into the market,” says the IDC report.
The launch of more affordable devices by several vendors is fueling this high adoption, and IDC believes that as competition rises, prices will keep declining. In March, global 5G smartphone sales surpassed those of 4G ones for the first time ever, hitting 51%. “The top three smartphone markets in Africa by unit share in Q2/2022 were South Africa (16.6%), Nigeria (13.8%), and Kenya (7.7%),” says that report. And although China’s smartphone market dropped by 14.7% in the same quarter due to COVID-19 lockdowns, even with this decline, the demand for Chinese smartphones continues to rise, with smartphone manufacturer Transsion Holdings outpacing Samsung to become the new market leader in Q2 at 48%, compared to Samsung’s 25.8%.