Xiaomi’s success as a company that releases affordable yet powerful electronics has been almost entirely thanks to the rapidly growing middle classes of developing nations like China and India, but what about outside of Asia? The company has already started expanding into Latin America, but it wasn’t until yesterday that the Chinese company announced that it will finally be entering the African market, one which is packed with developing nations that other smartphone makers haven’t tapped into yet.
Xiaomi is finally bringing its products to Africa, according to an announcement made by its appointed distributor today. Initially, the company will be bringing the Redmi 2 and the Mi 4 to Africa through local distributor Mobile in Africa Limited which will distribute the two smartphones to the 50 countries that constitute sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, Mobile in Africa Limited is setting up online stores in 14 of those countries to replicate the online-only sales strategy that Xiaomi has used in China and many other countries. “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,” says RJ van Spaandonk, president of Mobile in Africa Limited. “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.”
