Transsion Holdings has been the market leader in Africa for a while now with its three brands Tecno, Itel, and Infinix. The combination of these three brands gives it the largest market share in the continent. However, 2020 was the first time one of its brands actually took the top spot and overtook Samsung.

According to a Counterpoint report, Tecno toppled Samsung to claim the top spot in 2020. The smartphone brand saw its market share rise to 18% even though the market experienced a 6.7% drop in smartphone shipments YoY. The report revealed the COVID-19 pandemic also disrupted the market in the first half of 2020 with the second quarter being the worst as countries went into lockdown. However, by July, sales significantly improved. The market even recorded a 1.5% gain YoY in the fourth quarter of the year.

Counterpoint Market Research for African Smartphone Market 2020

Samsung who had a market share of 18% in 2019 saw it drop to 15% in 2020 no thanks to issues with supply chain due to the pandemic and a slow reaction towards the end of the year. Things should get better for Samsung this year as it has already launched its new Galaxy A smartphones in multiple markets in the continent.



Itel, another Transsion Holdings brand takes the third spot with a market share of 12%. Itel offers more affordable phones than its sister brands Tecno and Infinix. You wouldn’t be wrong to call its lineup entry-level and as we can see, that segment has helped it enter the top three.

Huawei still keeps the fourth spot in Africa despite the challenges it is facing. Counterpoint says the first three quarters were strong but its shipments declined significantly in the fourth quarter. We can attribute that to the trade ban which has prevented it from getting components and thus affected the launch of new models in the market. Its market share has dropped from 10% to 8% and is expected to drop even further as things haven’t improved this year even with the new U.S. administration.

Counterpoint Market Research for African Smartphone Market 2020

Infinix, the third Transsion Holdings brand closes the top 5 with a market share of 7%. Counterproint reports that they recorded strong market gains in the second half of the year and it is the transsion brand with the highest average selling price. However, it has begun to lower its prices based on market realities and is expected to grab a larger share of the market this year.

Xiaomi saw its market share double from 2% in 2019 to 4% by the end of 2020. Its shipments increased by 126% YoY, thanks to increased sales in key markets such as Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. Xiaomi is also said to be expanding its offline presence in the continent and by directly managing channels, it should record an increase in market share this year. Xiaomi has already announced its Redmi Note 10 series in key markets like Nigeria where they will slug it out with Samsung’s new Galaxy A series smartphones.

OPPO also doubled its market share from 2% to 4% and saw its shipments grow 57% YoY. It made its entry into the continent a few years ago and has already recorded success in markets such as Egypt and Algeria. OPPO is also building its offline channels and is partnering with key operators in the continent.

Apple and HMD Global (Nokia) both retain their 1% market share. The latter hasn’t recorded significant success in the continent, no thanks to better offerings at lower prices from the competition. Another name on the list is Realme who didn’t have a market share in 2019 but now controls 1%. The brand is yet to launch in some markets such as Nigeria but we won’t be surprised if they do so this year.

Counterpoint also revealed that most of the sales recorded, over 80% to be specific, come from smartphones in the sub-$200 category and that trend is expected to continue. 5G smartphones are not popular yet in the region and will most likely not be in the next few years since deployment is yet to commence in several countries, nevertheless, a few 5G devices are already being sold.

https://www.gizmochina.com/2021/04/19/counterpoint-tecno-overtakes-samsung-to-lead-african-smartphone-market-xiaomi-doubles-its-share/

@lalstica

Congratulations Tecno. Always leading

Wow this is huge!! Congratulations Tecno

rubbish

Congrats to them. I wonder what happened to Umidigi.

Umi who?

Infinix 7% funny.

Huawei sell more than infinix in Africa?


This research is trash.

Which junkyard be dat?

Nawa o. we, team iPhone na 1%

it is well.

I swear down Transsion no be anybody mate. Dunno why some fans can't keep their name out of their mouth. Always wanting to be on the same pedestal with Transsion.

I heard a song just now
Your presence is the difference
The difference is your presence

Tecno is the BEST! YAKT

Freelancerx:
I swear down Transsion no be anybody mate. Dunno why some fans can't keep their name out if their mouth. Always wanting to be on the same pedestal with Transsion.

OP how did xiaomi shine? You can give kudos to the leading brands and I'm sure no one will beat you

hoilakes:
I heard a song just now
Your presence is the difference
The difference is your presence

Tecno is the BEST! YAKT

lmao
Tecno na pacesetter be that

Ahmed0336:
Nawa o. we, team iPhone na 1%


it is well.

at least una dey list. Some people no even near am

Sincerely a big congratulations to them, they actually have the best Mobile marketing team in Africa and then they really understand the African market.

Just imagine they even toppled a whole Samsung, TECNO ain't any body's mate.

udemzyudex:
Infinix 7% funny.

Huawei sell more than infinix in Africa?


This research is trash.

doubt if it is. tecno and itel sell more units than them too.

scarycuteface:
OP how did xiaomi shine? You can give kudos to the leading brands and I'm sure no one will beat you

being in sixth position is shining lol

Mohbola:
being in sixth position is shining lol

Dem try now, for making the loudest noise on Nairaland.

Mohbola:
doubt if it is. tecno and itel sell more units than them too.

itel? unless their smaller phones.

seriously, this one shock me. say TECNO MOBILE wound Samsung for african market.

even those upcoming brands with plenty noise makers all over nairaland no near them.

congratulations to TECNO MOBILE oooooooo

Chineke!

Ogini?

You say?

Kai! This one go humble lots of people for this nairaland!

Abeg no vex! But this post just made my day abeg!

Result truly silences insults.......

Congrats transsion.....

Majority of Africans are tech illiterates, cheap and affordable would always hitch-hike them the wrong way. I must admit, they're trying to improve, but it's not even as swift as a snail. Kind of up and down movement, i.e add a juicy latest feature on a phone, and at the same time kill the mojo with an outdated boring tone, heck they just released a device with 90 hrz refresh coupled with a 720p resolution screen. so poor if I must say.


As for Itel, if I had my way, I would wipe that brand out from existence, and lock it's maker for 600 years. definition of an absolute joke of the melinium, what a waste of plastics, wires, and batteries..spits. disgusting. But like I said earlier, majority of Africans are technically oriented in a poor way, so more cash out.


Apple with 1% had it coming, majority of Africans gives no rat-ass about quality and taste of flagships, Apple on the other hand, gives no rat-ass about venturing into the midrange and budgets phones hemisphere (they should change this mentality if they wanna be more relevant in the African market) majority of Africans using iPhones are lover's of refurbished or foreign used phones..


Xiaomi needs a healthy good and physical contact with consumers (consumer and repair outlets) and they would be dominating the top spot in the nearest future, because the average African needs their yam's in their bans, not much of a physical presence, and the story continues (they have to work on this).


Huawei, hmmmmmm


Infinix, most times, extremely wiser than her sister (Tecno) most times more stupid than her sister (Tecno)


Samsung is a proof that Africans gives no hoot about quality but quantity, the latest batch from the stables of the A series are a much more better improvement to their 2019/2020 models. Where Samsung is not friendly with Africans, is that they dont give a hoot about juicy pricing (it's kind of "hey this is quality, so buy or beat it" just like Apple) hey Amoled are not some kind of cheap ips lcd screen, someones gotta pay if its quality.


H. M. D global, are they really ready for the African battle ground? Better than transsion though, wonder why Africans dont value this one time heavy weight... Story for another day.


Realme, testing grounds, but they have a bright future if they continue like the India way (freindly pricing unlike her sister Oppo) but just like what is affecting Xiaomi, Africans need their yam's in their bans, so give them that or forget it.


Oppo.......,,, nice Brand,

But

Wake me up when they're ready to make a device either inferior or classic spec for price, the last details i dread the most to read on the spec's of an oppo device is THE PRICING (my personal opinion though)

skywalker240:
Majority of Africans are tech illiterates, cheap and affordable would always hitch-hike them the wrong way. I must admit, they're trying to improve, but it's not even as swift as a snail. Kind of up and down movement, i.e add a juicy latest feature on a phone, and at the same time kill the mojo with an outdated boring tone, heck they just released a device with 90 hrz refresh coupled with a 720p resolution screen. so poor if I must say.


As for Itel, if I had my way, I would wipe that brand out from existence, and lock it's maker for 600 years. definition of an absolute joke of the melinium, what a waste of plastics, wires, and batteries..spits. disgusting. But like I said earlier, majority of Africans are technically oriented in a poor way, so more cash out.


Apple with 1% had it coming, majority of Africans gives no rat-ass about quality and taste of flagships, Apple on the other hand, gives no rat-ass about venturing into the midrange and budgets phones hemisphere (they should change this mentality if they wanna be more relevant in the African market) majority of Africans using iPhones are lover's of refurbished or foreign used


Xiaomi needs a healthy good and physical contact with consumers (consumer and repair outlets) and they would be dominating the top spot in the nearest future, but Africans needs their yam's in their bans, not much of a physical presence and the story continues.


Huawei, hmmmmmm


Infinix, most times, extremely wiser than her sister (Tecno) most times more stupid than her sister (Tecno)


Samsung is a proof that Africans gives no hoot about quality but quantity, the latest batch from the stables of the A series are a much more better improvement to their 2019/2020 models. But Samsung dont give a hoot about juicy pricing (kind of "buy or beat it" just like Apple) hey Amoled are not some kind of cheap ips lcd screen, someones gotta pay if its quality.


H. M. D global, are they really ready for the African battle ground? Better than transsion though, wonder why Africans dont value this one time heavy weight... Story for another day.


Realme, testing grounds, but they have a bright future if they continue like the India way, but just like Xiaomi, Africans needs their yam's in their bans, so give them that or forget it.


Oppo.......,,, nice Brand,

But

Wake me up when they're ready to make a device either inferior or classic spec for price (my personal opinion though)

They should also Wake me up when they become number 3 best phone brand in the world.

skywalker240:

If Samsung vex and start selling their phone same price as trassion mobile, that will be RIP for tecno, infinix and Itel.

masterfactor:

If Samsung vex and start their phone same price as trassion mobile, that will be RIP for tecno, infinix and Itel.

Just like that

Yes! thanks to them we can experience the sweetness in android smartphones with prices that are very affordable

Freelancerx:
lmao
Tecno na pacesetter be that

masterfactor:

If Samsung vex and start selling their phone same price as trassion mobile, that will be RIP for tecno, infinix and Itel.

I swear. If they do they are on a big lost, infact the company go just fold.

Just leave Transsion and what they know how to do best on, if you go copy, you go fail ooo

Wow..!!! Joy over flow..

Congratulations to Transsion, you Sabi
Haters make una make noise na

No be one day work jare! Unbelievable..!!!

See where Samsung and Xiaomi is . Xaiomi is their baby lol