One of Africa’s young billionaires, Ashish Thakkar, unveiled the Maraphone, a made in Africa full scale smartphone. This was at the recently ended Africa Investment Forum held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mara Corporation founder Thakkar has this as a closing present for the AIF.
“China has Huawei, Xiaomi; the U.S has iPhone and finally Africa has Maraphone. This project will show the potential and ability that Africa can produce high quality and affordable smartphones in Africa, by Africans, for Africans and for the rest of the world” Thakkar said.
Africa—first 100% made-in-Africa smartphone—“Africa’s time is now,” @AshishJThakkar—Mara Group’s first manufacturing plants in Rwanda and South Africa, other plants planned—high-quality, affordable Maraphones, for Africa and export. — James Hall (@hallaboutafrica) October 27, 2018 (tweet)
Set for roll out in 2019, the Maraphones (Mara X and Mara Z), are a first-of-its-kind in the history of Africa. This is because they will be manufactured on the continent by Africans in plants set up across the continent.
The Maraphone is expected to be a high quality and affordable products designed to primarily serve the population of Africa and possible exportation to other parts of the world. This is going to be achieved with support from the African Development Bank (AFDB) in 2019.
For example, the Mara X will be launched as part of Google’s Android One portfolio, getting a software experience as well as the latest innovations from Google. It will also run on the latest operating system, Android 8.0 Oreo, will get two years of OS upgrade and will be optimized for the Google Assistant.
Rwanda-based Mara Corporation to invest US$100million in South Africa to make smartphones. In Africa, up to now phones assembled, not made. “As an African brand, as an African company, made in Africa, made by Africans, it’s time we create these jobs on our continent, “says company
This is quite an interesting development because while global manufacture of phones is on the rise and expected to hit a billion in the next few years, none of them are produced on the continent. This makes Africa a consuming continent as far as smartphones are concerned. But with Maraphones, that is about to change.
The initial target market for the phones would be first-time African smart phone users. The first manufacturing plants are to be located in Rwanda and South Africa, with a $104 million investment into the project in South Africa in a space of five years.
On his part, President of AFDB, Akinwunmi Adesina said, “By 2020, the value of Africa’s mobile money industry is projected to top $14 billion. We need African-developed mobile phones to leverage this potential. Africa is bold, strong and innovative. Africa’s time is now.”
The Africa Investment Forum is the brain child of Adesina where he is tired of African’s losing their lives at sea in search for opportunities in Europe when Africa is endowed with untapped an endless possibilities. The AIF this year tapped into the apparel opportunities, away from traditional business talk.
*Ashish Thakkar is shareholder in AtlasMara Group alongside Bob Diamond and have stake in key banks in Africa.
This story was written with reference to an earlier published article entitled, ‘First ever made in Africa smartphone, Maraphone set to launch in 2019,’ on technext.ng