Samsung eyes bigger slice of Africa market

Samsung Electronics has unveiled strategies to boost its share of the fast growing African market.

Samsung said it would produce gadgets inspired by the needs of Africa consumers.

In a three-day forum bringing together stakeholders from across the continent, Samsung Electronics Africa president and CEO, Mr Sung Yong Hong, said the company would focus on innovative products in the continent.

“We want to create change in Africa by bringing consumers’ desires to life through innovative products.

Their passions and needs will be our focus as we embody the spirit of overcoming challenges and moving forward a vision of togetherness across the continent,” said Mr Yong at the forum in Antalya, Turkey.

The forum was themed One Beat Beyond the Limit in reference to the expected scale-up of innovative products in the market.

The electronics giant showcased household products, office goods, mobile phones, cameras and specialised professional gadgets such as hospital equipment.

INCREASED UPTAKE

Mr Robert Ngeru, vice-president and chief operating officer, Samsung Electronics East and Central Africa said the mobile revolution presents an opportunity for the firm to target the African market with affordable smartphones.

“We are synchronising all our products, technology and the market environment together with our partners to see that Africa gets what it deserves in terms of innovative technology,” Mr Ngeru said­.

“Our command in the television space and innovative mobile products will definitely climb higher this year and we hope to see more uptake as our market embrace what we have tailored to suit their economic and environmental dynamics,”

The company introduced a new series of television models targeting Africa — JS9500, JS9000 and JS8000 — each boasting a number of features tailored to the lifestyles of users in the region.

For instance, the 88-inch JS9500 television, powered by a proprietary, eco-friendly nano-crystal display technology automatically analyses the brightness of images to minimise power consumption.

It is two-and-a-half times brighter than conventional TV sets and twice the colour adjustment points with 64 times more colour expression than conventional sets.

New Samsung smart TVs are powered by Tizen, an open source platform that supports web standards for development of television apps.

The app also ensures that consumers access a much broader range of television content and services.

“Our innovative heritage and spirit continue to push the boundaries of home entertainment,” said HS Kim, Samsung president of visual display.

The firm also introduced an expanded, curved HW-J8500/J8501 sound bar with 9.1 channel audio centre line-up, SD590C curved monitor, a four-door chef collection refrigerator RF9900 with triple cooling system and a 410-litre volume for food storage. 

Other products introduced were air conditioners, air purifiers, printers, cameras, tablets, network systems, and semiconductors, LED goods and washing machines.