Africa's smartphone market declined 15% YoY, shipping 19.7 million units in Q1 2022

Smartphone shipments across Africa declined year on year (YoY) in the first quarter of 2022, marking the third straight quarter of negative growth, according to data from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The report showed that smartphone vendors shipped a total of 19.7 million smartphones across Africa in Q1 2022, down 15.7% YoY, due to the ongoing supply and logistical challenges, the rising costs of components, and the recent lockdowns in China.

Chinese-owned Transsion brands (Tecno, Itel, and Infinix) led the way with a combined 42.7% unit share, its lowest since Q2 2020. Samsung placed second with a 26.8% share, while Xiaomi (6.6%), OPPO (5.4%), and HMD (3.7%) rounded out the top five.