#TIT: These smartphones were ‘produced’ in Africa by Africans

In this edition of our Technology and Innovation Tuesday (#TIT), we take a look at the growth of smartphones in Africa and African companies attempting to produce these devices in the continent.

The mobile telephony industry has evolved over the years with a transition from feature phones to smartphones. Smartphones have gained huge popularity worldwide and have become a viable business venture.

The biggest producers of smartphones are Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Huawei and many others with little or none from the African continent which is considered to be the fastest growing mobile market with an estimated half a billion unique mobile subscribers by 2020, according to the 2017 Mobile Economy report by the GSM Association (GSMA) trade organisation.

These big phone producers outside the continent have also capitalized on the market to produce lower-priced smartphones. However, some few African companies have made attempts to mass produce cheaper smartphones for Africans.

Many of these African companies either import the smartphones built for them in China or import the parts from China and assemble them locally. Some have claimed to be producing “Made In Africa” phones, but the tag has become more of a cliche to represent assembly.

Here are four African companies that are making attempts to produce phones in Africa.