Xiaomi isn’t just another Chinese mobile company, it is the most valuable mobile company in China commonly referred to as the Apple of China. It successfully took Apple’s place in China by producing well designed, quality Android devices and took the low end market from Samsung by bringing the price even lower than expected.
Xiaomi can be described as a successful mobile company and it came as no surprise when it announced it is venturing into the fastest growing mobile market in the world. For a company that fully understands the low-end market, it’s safe to assume the company it’s bound to succeed in Africa. Mobile technology enthusiasts have long anticipated this and as a matter of fact, it’s long overdue.
Yezz Mobile, an American company, which came into Nigeria about a couple of months ago failed to do a proper market survey as pointed out by TechRez in a recent article. Looking at Xiaomi’s success in China, however, it is obvious the company reduces profit margin on hardware and profits through software. This enables it to sell quality phones at very affordable prices and that has been key to its success.
The company plans to launch two smartphones in Africa come September: The Red Mi 2 (costing $160) and M4 ($320).
According to an article on Forbes, the phones will be distributed by Mobile In Africa and they are setting up online stores in 14 countries. This strategy is quite similar to how Xiaomi markets its products in China.
RJ van Spaandonk, president of Mobile in Africa said,
I think Xiaomi is currently the one of the most exciting mobile internet brands. It is very well suited to the needs and income levels of the emerging middle classes in Africa. There is a great need for mobile technology in Africa that is of top-notch quality but still affordable. What I found in Xiaomi is a company, and a business model, that can accommodate the needs of African consumers.
Coming to Africa, Xiaomi will have to compete with existing brands to gain relevance. In the first quarter of the year, it was reported that Samsung, Tecno and Apple were the three biggest players in the African mobile market accounting for 55% of all phones sold across Africa.
Infinix also is coming up strong, and with the launch of its first Android One phone which is the first in the whole of Africa, the game is getting even more interesting.