Huawei Consumer Business Group general manager Zhao Likun has outlined the company’s strategy to compete with Samsung and Apple in South Africa.
In an interview with MyBroadband, Likun said Huawei recognises South Africa as a key market and aims to implement more localised service than its competitors, along with cheaper flagship devices.
Huawei’s smartphone market share in South Africa increased to 16.3%over the last year, and it now commands 13.8% of the premium smartphone market locally.
These figures have grown dramatically since 2016, and Likun said Huawei plans to continue this strong growth.
Budget devices
Huawei has seen more growth in the high-end smartphone market than in the mid and low-range sectors locally, but it plans to change this by expanding support for its budget lineup.
“For South Africa, we adopt a different strategy than the ones used in markets like China,” said Likun.
“We don’t want to promote many products, we prefer to focus on popular products.”
He said the company will increase its share of the budget smartphone market by launching its new Y-Series devices in South Africa.
Huawei plans to continue launching newer versions of these budget smartphones alongside its high-end devices.
The real driver for Huawei’s local growth has been its P-Series flagship devices, however, especially its Lite range.
Likun noted that the company has seen a similar trend in Europe, with customers choosing P-Series devices over competitors in the same price range.
“I believe South African consumers love powerful technology and fashionable design at a better price,” said Likun.
He added that a device like the P10 Lite can offer flagship-grade features at an extremely competitive price, which is attractive for local customers.
Local service
Likun added that Huawei’s commitment to supporting the South African market and delivering localised services sets it apart from it competitors.
He said Huawei cooperates with local partners and aims to deliver the products South Africans want as soon as possible after their international launch.
The company also announced it will bring its mobile cloud services to South Africa, which it says will be a big improvement for the end-user experience.
Likun said the roll out of these services will improve a customer’s experience in South Africa, and will offer accessibility and a level of support unique in the local market.
