Obi Mobiles, the technology brand that makes smartphones has officially marked its entry into the East Africa market.
The vendor’s handsets are targeted at the growing population of young and aspirational smartphone users and has been well received in both Kenya and Tanzania, the company said.
According to Obi Mobiles, the brand will expand to other African markets over the next few months.
Francis W. Wangusi, director-general, Communications Authority of Kenya, said: “We are expecting an explosion of ICT services in Kenya and it is devices such as Obi Mobiles that will support them.
Wangus commended John Sculley, co-founded of Obi Mobiles and veteran marketer on his commitment to making technology accessible.
Amit Rupchandani, managing director, Obi Mobiles EMEA, said: “Consumers are increasingly looking to upgrade from feature phones to smartphones. However, the high cost of investment in state-of-the-art devices is a huge deterrent for a large number of aspirational buyers. At Obi Mobiles, we believe in ticking the right boxes in terms of superior design and quality at desirable price points. With the support of strong channels that reach every segment of the market, we are confident that we can add immense value to the African smartphone market.”
Rupchandani added that: “We are charting out our entry in to the East Africa market currently and aim to rapidly grow in the region by forging synergies with effective channel partners. Obi Mobiles will continue to expand extensively through 2015, with Africa, Latin America and the former CIS region on our list of priority markets. By the end of the year, we aim to be in 70 emerging markets globally.”
The mobile devices maker has partner with DESPEC to help with distribution of its products to retailers and reseller channel.
As a value-added reseller to Obi Mobiles for East African markets, DESPEC will manage the distribution of Obi devices to all key retailers and independent retailer channels, the company stated.
