Jumia, Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, has inked a deal with Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi to distribute its entry-level smartphone Redmi Go in Africa.
The deal was signed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
According to an official statement, Jumia will also sell other Xiaomi smartphones and it will open the Mi official store on its platform.
The online retailer currently operates in 14 countries in Africa.
Redmi Go specs
Redmi Go comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM. It has a 5.00-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Other key specs of the smartphone which will be released this month include a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, a 3,000mAh battery, 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel camera on the front for selfies
The Redmi Go also accepts Nano-SIM cards and it can support 4G.
Driving growth
Officials say both Jumia and Xiaomi expect to benefit enormously from working together in supporting technology growth in Africa.
“This partnership is very important for us, as it will definitely foster the smartphone adoption in Africa as well as support e-commerce penetration. Xiaomi and Jumia have very similar internet DNA and will serve a common purpose: delivering the best in class affordable smartphones along with the best shopping experience. This will be very beneficial for both companies and above all for the consumers in Africa,” said Jumia Group’s Senior Vice President Mr. Romain Christodoulou, during the signing ceremony.
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“We believe in working with companies that share our values and delighted to partner with Jumia to reach more Mi fans across Africa,” said Wang Xiang, Senior Vice President of Xiaomi. “The e-commerce model is part of Xiaomi’s DNA and we believe that working with Jumia will help us bring innovation for everyone across the continent.”
The partnership will initially cover Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and Ghana, and aim to cover all other countries where Jumia operates.
Most markets will be directly supplied from China, confirming the fast expansion of intercontinental trade in Africa.
Africa has seen the rise of affordable entry-level devices from price-focused brands especially from China, which remains a key driver of smartphone adoption in the continent. Smartphone penetration in Africa stood at approximately 36% in 2018, with the number expected to reach about 66% by 2025.
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