Africa’s smartphone market maintained its growth streak in the first quarter of 2025, achieving a 6% year-on-year increase with 19.4 million units shipped, according to the latest data from Canalys.

This marks the continent’s eighth consecutive quarter of growth, yet the gains were unevenly distributed across countries. Egypt and South Africa led the way with impressive double-digit increases, while Nigeria’s smartphone shipments declined by 7%, hampered by inflation and economic pressures.

TRANSSION continued to dominate the African market, controlling 47% of the share, but its shipments fell 5% compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, competitors gained traction, Samsung held a strong 21% share, driven by its popular A-series models.

Xiaomi’s shipments surged by 32%, largely fueled by successes in Egypt and Nigeria. HONOR experienced an extraordinary year-on-year jump of 283%, boosted by attractive 5G bundles and strengthened local partnerships.

Egypt stood out with a remarkable 34% increase in smartphone shipments over Q1 2024, leading North Africa.

This growth was propelled by several key developments:
—the government’s IMEI whitelisting policy targeting the crackdown on grey-market devices
— a renewed focus on local manufacturing
— and a more stable macroeconomic environment that lifted consumer confidence. In Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa posted a robust 14% growth.

This was supported by the removal of a luxury excise tax on smartphones priced below ZAR2,500 (approximately US$137) and a national initiative to phase out older 2G and 3G networks in favor of expanding 4G and 5G coverage.

These moves sparked increased demand for affordable smartphones among the country’s large youth population, despite ongoing economic challenges.

Conversely, Nigeria’s smartphone market shrank by 7%, a downturn analysts attribute to:
— high inflation and a weakening naira
— reduced disposable income
— rising device prices and tighter financing options.

Despite this decline, Canalys highlighted Nigeria’s young, tech-savvy population as a promising long-term growth opportunity.

Other countries demonstrated varied resilience. Kenya saw a modest 1% increase in shipments, driven by growing adoption of micro-lending apps, upgrades to 4G devices, and innovative loop-based smartphone financing.

Algeria also posted strong growth of 16%, supported by increased telecom investment and rising smartphone penetration.

“Global trade disruptions, driven by US-China tariff tensions, are expected to dampen consumer sentiment in major economies, with cascading effects on emerging markets,” said Pravinkuma, Principal Analyst at Canalys.

“As investment flows tighten, Africa’s economically sensitive markets face increased volatility. While 4G and early-stage 5G deployments offer promise, they require high capital commitments. Urban youth, driven by digital aspirations, represent a strong demand base, yet limited disposable income and growing reliance on financing continue to constrain broader market stability.”