Via Semafor, a report that China’s Transsion is now the world’s fifth largest phone maker thanks to Africa:

> What is Transsion’s story? Transsion is a phone manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China, whose brands are Tecno, Itel and Infinix. Though largely unknown to Chinese consumers, Transsion really began establishing a presence in Africa in the 2010s to become the top selling phone maker there, overtaking Samsung in 2017.

> So why are we talking about it now? Well it ended 2022 with a 43% share of Africa’s smartphone market and this month new data shows it is now one of the top five smartphone vendors in the world and could even soon be top four. With its share price up 60% year-to-date on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, it is valued at $14 billion.

> How did it rise in Africa? Transsion’s story in Africa has been described as “a textbook case of superior marketing and understanding consumers’ needs.” The company has also been credited for producing devices with a so-called ‘glocalization’ strategy such as marketing dual SIM card phones and camera phones better calibrated for darker skin tones.

> How has it stayed ahead of competition? Transsion set up its first Africa assembly factory in Addis Ababa in 2011, a base from which it increased its shipments of relatively affordable feature and smartphones to key markets. Its phones have stayed below the higher price points typical of Samsung and Apple products while aspiring towards the cutting edge designs and features of the premium phones. Want a foldable phone? Tecno has one that is probably the most affordable on the market.

> What’s Transsion’s next move? It is looking to break into Southeast Asia but with countries like Singapore where consumers have higher purchasing power. “Southeast Asia is a good place for companies like Oppo and Transsion to grow high-end users,” reports Nikkei Asia.