Tecno Mobile has reportedly outsold Samsung in Africa during 2020, confirming its status as the top smartphone brand on the continent – this is according to research from Counterpoint.
The Chinese smartphone brand managed to achieve this despite a 6.7% year on year fall in Africa’s smartphone shipments in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IDC (International Data Corporation) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker had already placed the company first in Africa for Q1 to Q3 last year, achieving an overall 4th Global Mobile Phone Ranking.
According to the Counterpoint data, Tecno Mobile was responsible for 18% of the total smartphone shipment to Africa last year thanks to the company enjoying a strong second half of the year.
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Samsung, which held the top position in Africa in 2019, faced “supply chain disruptions” in the first half of 2020, secured 15% of Africa’s total smartphone shipments last year.
“The ASP decreased 15% between 2018 and 2020, and today over 80% of Africa’s smartphone shipments come from the below $200 band. We can expect further replacement of feature phones by entry-level smartphones, leading to the ASP likely remaining under pressure in the next few years,” says Counterpoint analyst, Yang Wang.
Established in 2006, Tecno Mobile has a presence in more than 60 countries across the globe and offers a comprehensive mobile device portfolio across feature phones, smartphones and tablets.
“The first half of the year is likely to be slower as vendors face component shortages,” says Ramazan Yavuz, a senior research manager at IDC.
“However, a recovery is expected to start from the second half of 2021. With the expansion of COVID-19 vaccination programmes and a subsequent slowdown in the spread of the virus, markets across the region are expected to return to normal in H2 2021, with retail channels performing better and purchasing power starting to improve,” adds Yavuz.
While 2020 saw the first 5G capable smartphones in Africa. 5G is unlikely to be a main factor in the African market in the next few years.
The Counterpoint report says there still is room for 5G smartphones in Africa, especially if prices can drop below $200, which they expect to happen in the near future.
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