Xiaomi is Going to Conquer the African Smartphone Market

On January 18, Lei Jun issued a statement and announced the establishment of the African Regional Department. The department’s business is led by Wang Lingming, vice president, who is also responsible for reporting to Wang Xiang.

With more than 1.2 billion people in Africa, smartphone penetration is not as high as in other continents. Due to cultural and economic differences, most Chinese smartphone manufacturers have not developed well in Africa. At this stage, the largest smartphone manufacturer in Africa is China’s Transsion Holdings. This brand could rank first in Africa in terms of the market share of 40%, surpassing Samsung and Apple. That’s why it’s called ‘King in Africa’, and it has managed to sell over 130 million smartphones in 2017. It is presented in the African market through three brands – iTel, TECNO, and Infinix. In 2019, as Xiaomi is entering this market, its main rival will be the ‘King in Africa’.

However, many regions in Africa are still blank. In addition, Africa’s huge population base and low-income level are fertile ground for low-end entry smartphones. If Xiaomi can enter the African smartphone market, then there will be a lot of room for expansion.

Xiaomi has a few departments to manage the overseas markets. The African Regional Department is just the next one added to the list. Apart from this, Xiaomi’s Southeast Asia business has also been adjusted. The original Indonesian, South Asian and Southeast Asian regions were integrated into the New Southeast Asia Department. Xiaomi Russia and the CIS Regional Department have also adjusted accordingly.