Samsung sees smartphones leading Africa growth
23 March 2012
Reuters - March 22, 2012
Samsung Electronics Co aims to double its share of the sub-Saharan smartphone market to 20 percent by next year, as it focuses on affordable handsets, the head of its Africa business said on Thursday.
The Korean maker of televisions and white goods is aggressively courting African consumers with its "Built for Africa" line, which features energy-saving electrical appliances purpose built to withstand high temperatures and erratic power supply.
But the company sees some of its biggest opportunities on the continent from rising demand for cheaper smartphones, Kwang Kee Park, Samsung's president and chief operating officer for Africa, told Reuters in an interview.
"We intend to grow the smartphone market up to 20 percent for the next one year's time with the Galaxy Pocket," he said, referring to a stripped-down version of its Galaxy smartphone.
Category: ICT