The production unit of the first African designed tablet VMK is set to move from China to Africa as the Congo-Brazzaville-based phone factory in advanced stages of completion.
VMK proprietor Veron Mankou last week made the announcement in Abidjan, Ivory Coast where his company launched its second African point of sale.
The new VMK store in Abidjan was opened in partnership with African telecom giant MTN. This store is in addition the company’s first store in Brazzaville. It will employ 10 staff.
Verone Mankou first mooted the idea of designing a low-cost laptop for Africa by 2006 and proceeded to launch VMK, a company that today designs and sells tablets, smartphones and feature phones in Congo-Brazzaville.
Working with a Chinese partner, VMK has already started training more than 90 locals at the company’s premises in the Mpila neighbourhood of Brazzaville. These employees will man the factory that is expected to produce 350,000 units per month.
“Now we are building our factory in Brazzaville,” Mankou told reporters not so long ago. “Before we designed in Congo, assembled in China, and sold in Congo—no! I want to design it in Congo, assemble in Congo, and sell it in Congo.”
