In the battle to win in Africa’s biggest mobile market, China-based Transsion Holdings seems close to edging out Samsung, the South Korean giant.
Data from Counterpoint’s market monitor shows Samsung’s market share of smartphone shipments in Nigeria dipped slightly to 34% in 2017. In comparison, Transsion Holdings brands Tecno, Itel, and Infinix combined for 32%, up from 25% last year. Transsion Holdings is dominant with feature-phone shipments, with the Tecno and Itel brands jointly snagging 76% of the Nigerian market, compared to Samsung’s 3%.
Samsung has already lost out in the continent-wide tussle: Transsion’s brands now hold 28% of smartphone shipments compared to Samsung’s 27%.
Transsion’s brands, Tecno and Itel, are dominating Nigeria’s feature phone market.