In the
history of China-Africa relations, 2019 may come to be known as the year of the
mobile phone. It was a year when phones took on an outsized commercial and
political importance. Selling its Tecno phones in Africa carried Transsion, a
relatively unknown Chinese company, to an IPO north of $4 billion. Mobile
phones dragged Africa into the fight between Huawei and the US government, with
the president of South Africa accusing the Trump administration of cracking down on the Chinese
telco out of ‘jealousy,’ leading to pushback from Washington. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s
comments were backed by South Africa’s own mobile phone companies, who have
expanded their business throughout the continent on the back of components and
support from Huawei and other Chinese companies.
And the developments keep coming. This week, the world’s first smartphone to be fully produced (parts and all) in Africa, was launched in Rwanda. The two versions of the Mara phone will sell for $130 and $190 dollars, much higher than basic Tecno ($40) and Samsung ($70) competitors. Yet, this might not even be the point. The smartphone has become symbolic of African development, and the fully made-in-Africa smartphone represents an achievement long desired, one that carries symbolic value far beyond its market price. Behind the dream of an all-African mobile phone lies decades of yearning for a continent in control of its own voice, making things that serve the needs of its people.
Lead the Conversation on China
Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project
Monthly
$19.00 / monthly
Cancel Anytime - Renews Monthly
Save 17%
Best Value
Yearly
$228.00
$199.00 / yearly
Renews Yearly
Check Out Everything You'll Get With Your Subscription
The China-Global South Daily Brief delivered to your inbox at 6AM Washington time
Full access to exclusive news and analysis from editors based in the Global South
Students and teachers with a valid .edu email address are eligible for a 50% discount off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Email us to receive a discount code.
A number of governments across the continent are proactively ramping up temperature screenings at ports of entry and proactively starting to issue public communications to reassure their publics that, so far, the virus ...
One of the revealing aspects of Africa’s pandemic-related downturn is that, while it’s causing financial chaos across the continent this doesn’t seem to be slowing the outside interest in certain African consumer sectors. ...
Oversaturation in China’s domestic tech market and a pandemic-fuelled cash crunch are driving Chinese firms to expand their African ventures. As 2021’s first quarter comes to a close, let’s take stock of the ...
We use cookies on our website to remember your login status and manage your subscription access. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.