Africa’s smartphone shipments climbed 7% year-on-year to 19.2 million units in Q2, according to Canalys, making the continent one of the best-performing global regions as easing inflation and improved currency stability boosted demand in key markets.
Market Leaders and Growth Hotspots
Growth was led by Egypt (up 21%), Nigeria (boosted by a stabilised naira), and South Africa (up 2%), where 5G smartphone shipments surged 63% thanks to financing schemes and vendor-operator partnerships. Sub-Saharan Africa overall recorded a 10% rise.
Not all markets saw gains: Kenya slipped 2%, Morocco fell 7%, and Algeria plunged 27%, hit by weak demand and strict import restrictions.
Budget Models Driving Demand
Manish Pravinkumar, principal analyst at Canalys, said: “Demand for ultra-low-cost smartphones is reshaping Africa’s market, with sub-$100 models soaring 38% in Q2 and keeping average selling prices on a downward trend since 2023.”
Smartphones still account for only half of all connections across Africa, with affordability remaining the key barrier. Pravinkumar noted that rural markets are the next battleground, where limited banking access is fuelling demand for mobile money, fintech, and digital services.
Vendor Performance
- Transsion dominated with 51% market share (9.2 million units, +6%).
- Samsung shipped 3.4 million units (+3%).
- Xiaomi grew 32% to 2.8 million units.
- Honor surged 161% to 800,000 units.
- Oppo fell 11% to 700,000 units.
Outlook
Despite rising component costs, Africa’s smartphone market is forecast to grow 3% in 2025, outpacing the global average. Analysts urged manufacturers to set up local production to drive prices further down and ensure long-term sustainability.
