The manufacturer and maker of Tecno Phones, Transsion Holdings, tops the list of smartphone sales by volume in Africa. A research report by a Hong Kong-based firm states that Tecno smartphone shipments grew by 77 percent year on year over Samsung and Apple in Q4 2023. The shipment pushed Transsion sales above Samsung and Apple across the Middle East and Africa for the first time.
According to the report, Tecno’s sales were driven by smartphones priced around US$150. Some phone models, including Tecno Pop 7 and the Camon 20 Pro, have become popular with consumers.
Furthermore, the report also stated that Tecno last surpassed Samsung in African sales in 2020. However, the introduction of the new lower-price models has fastened market spending.
A senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, Yang Wang, noted that the rapid growth Transsion enjoyed in 2023 was a result of the improved macroeconomic environment across most countries in the region.
In the South China Morning Post, Yang Wang said, “Transsion brands benefited the most from these tailwinds as they are the most invested in Africa’s mid-to-lower tier smartphone segments, among the biggest brands.”
He further said the decrease in inflation and energy prices of local African currencies stabilized across most countries, and many customers, particularly the lower-income audience, gave a stronghold about splashing money on gadgets.
Wang added that Tecno’s consistent and continuous investment in marketing and channel penetration and its plans to launch high-end smartphones such as foldable and flip phones gave it a chance to dominate the smartphone market, giving it credibility and visibility among the audience.
The report showed that Tecno, Infinix, and iTel together accounted for 48 percent of the smartphone market in Africa in 2023. Tecno’s market share 2023 was 26 percent, while Infinix and iTel had 12 percent and 10 percent market shares, respectively.
Also, other Chinese smartphones like Xiaomi and Oppo enjoyed remarkable growth with a 7 and 5 percent shipment share in Africa.
