According to a recent report, Transsion Holdings, the manufacturer of Tecno phones, now has the highest volume of smartphone sales in Africa, surpassing Samsung and Apple. Counterpoint Research, a Hong Kong-based organization, reported that Tecno smartphone shipments increased by 77% year on year in Q4 2023.
This surge enabled Transsion to overtake Samsung and Apple in sales across the Middle East and Africa for the first time.
According to the research, Tecno’s sales were mostly driven by smartphones costing under $150. Some of these phones, such as the Tecno Pop 7 and Camon 20 Pro, have gained popularity among consumers.
The research also stated that Tecno has already eclipsed Samsung in African sales since 2020, owing to the successful launch of lower-cost phone models and ongoing market investment.
According to Yang Wang, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, Transsion’s rise in 2023 was driven by an improved macroeconomic situation in most of the region’s countries.
“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 said in a statement to The South China Morning Post.
Wang noted that as inflation and energy prices fell and native African currencies stabilized in most countries, many customers, particularly those with lower incomes, felt more confident about spending money on devices.
Wang attributed Tecno’s dominance in the smartphone industry to ongoing marketing investments and channel penetration, as well as ambitious intentions to produce high-end devices like foldables and flip phones, which improved visibility and credibility among audiences.
According to the research, Tecno, Infinix, and iTel collectively accounted for 48% of the African smartphone market in 2023. In 2023, Tecno had a 26% market share, while Infinix and iTel had 12% and 10%, respectively.
Besides Transsion, other Chinese smartphone phone manufacturers, including Xiaomi and Oppo, have had amazing development, with Xiaomi obtaining a 7% market share in Africa in 2023 and Oppo having a moderate 5% smartphone shipment share in Africa.