Mobile Phones in South Africa

PROSPECTS

Smartphone affordability drives uptake

Smartphone availability at different price points is proving to be a crucial factor in the increased uptake of smartphones across the country. This is evident in the large volume sales of mid- and low-tier smartphones, that are priced below ZAR6,000.

Smartphone penetration boosts e-commerce and mobile payments

Increased smartphone penetration is driving e-commerce, although the market is still small relative to more developed countries. In 2018, e-commerce brands Superbalist and Spree merged to become a larger, more focused entity.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Consumer-centricity gains traction

Mobile phone manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of catering to their consumers, which is a trend that is expected to persist over the forecast period. This is evident in the strong performance of Chinese brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi, which focus on launching phones at varying price points.

MTN “smart” feature phone

South Africa-based mobile telecommunications giant MTN has launched a “smart” feature phone that is internet capable and allows users to access popular apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and Google Assistant. It has a front and back camera, dual SIM, MicroSD slot and its battery promises to last for three to five days.

US ban on Huawei expected to affect sales over the forecast period

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei has experienced a hurdle in its rapid period of growth - the US government has blacklisted the company from trading with the country without a licence. Given that Huawei smartphones operate on the full Android operating system (developed and licensed by Google), this could pose a serious threat to future phone functionality, including pre-installed apps and security updates.

Files are delivered directly into your account within a few minutes of purchase.