French firm seeks slice of Kenyan smartphones market

Nairobi; Kenya: French smartphone manufacturer, Wiko Mobile, has announced its entry into Kenyan market, as part of its Africa-entry strategy to boost sales.

The company launched its first smartphone in the local market this week. “We are delighted to bring the Wiko brand to Kenyan consumers.” “Wiko is confident that the combination of stylish design, technology, quality and pricing will be a huge success here,” said Wiko Global International Business Director Marcel Van de Pas, during the launch in Nairobi.

The firm, which started its operations in France nearly four years ago said yesterday it is seeking a share of the Kenyan smartphones market in addition to Nigeria, Algeria, and Morocco before the end of the year. “We will partner with local companies such as Safaricom among other distributors before setting up a fully fledged office to serve the region.

The company is making inroads in countries where Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE dominate, to bring down the price of smartphones. This is as it increases its footprint in a competitive sector dominated by established players like Samsung and Nokia. Van de Pas said Kenyans are among the first in Africa to enjoy the “French touch” experience. Wiko’ range of brands include Wiko’s Goa, Sunset, Fizz and Lenn.