The top mobile phone brand in China will finally arrive in the fastest growing mobile region for the past five years. This September, Xiaomi will finally reach the sub-Saharan African region as the Chinese brand will now be distributed by Mobile in Africa Limited to 50 countries across the continent. This is part of their brand expansion beyond their homeland, trying to get an even bigger share of the worldwide mobile pie and probably scaring their closest competitors in the process.
According to RJ van Spaandonk the president of Mobile in Africa and a renowkned tech entrepreneur, Xiaomi may very well meet the needs of the emerging middle class in Africa, as it is one of the most exciting brands in the industry right now. And having a presence in sub-Saharan Africa is strategically timely as it has been called the fastest-growing region in terms of both subscribers and connections. Last June 2014, there were 329 million recorded unique subscribers and 608 million connections, signaling a 38% penetration rate.
Xiaomi has made a name for itself by creating nice looking handsets with quality specs but selling it at a very affordable rate. They actually earn money from the apps and game store that they push on the consumers. Last year, they were number three in global sales, just behind Samsung and Apple. They are actually not directly available in other regions outside of Asia, although they do sell accessories and peripherals.
For their initial venture into Africa, two handsets will be available when they launch: the $160 Red Mi 2 and the $320 Mi 4. Mobile in Africa will be setting up 14 online stores across the region, which is the same sales strategy that Xiaomi has applied as part of their success in China.
VIA: Forbes
