The Digital Divide will be Reduced by More Smartphones

There were 503.14 million smartphone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2021, and that number is expected to reach 798m by 2027, based on the steady growth seen in earlier years. Despite this valuable potential to establish a notable presence in the global industry, the production and assembly of mobile devices remain concentrated in countries such as China, Hong Kong, the US, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc. However,  over the years, there have been efforts by some African nations like SA, the DRC, and Egypt to develop their local mobile phone manufacturing capabilities and contribute to the global supply chain. The latest in this list is Kenya. The Kenyan government recently announced plans to roll out its first batch of locally manufactured smartphones in July.

Meanwhile in Egypt, startup CardoO has launched its first IoT-enabled smartwatch. CardoO facilitates access to the latest affordable consumer electronics and IoT devices for MENA consumers, offering these products through online sales, direct sales, and channel sales, in addition to retail sales. The startup raised a US$660,000 seed round of funding last October to help it achieve its goal of becoming the leading Arab brand for premium and price-effective smart devices, and it has now launched the CardoO Watch, a “stylish and versatile” wearable that “combines fashion and functionality”.