Africa’s smartphone shipments fell for the first time in three years during the second quarter of 2026, driven by rising prices and affordability challenges, with the market reshaping towards mid-range and premium devices.
Africa’s smartphone market contracted in the second quarter of 2026, marking its first year-on-year fall in three years as rising handset prices tightened affordability across the continent, according to Omdia. Shipments dropped 7 per cent, with the sharpest pressure felt in the cheapest phones, which have long served as the main route into mobile connectivity for price-sensitive buyers.
The most vulnerable tier was the sub-$100 segment, where shipments fell 34 per cent from a year earlier, a loss of nearly 3 million devices. Omdia linked the decline to higher memory costs and supply-chain changes associated with artificial intelligence, both of which have pushed up the price of entry-level models and reduced their availability.
Manish Pravinkumar, principal analyst at Omdia, said the market was being pushed into a higher price bracket. He said vendors could no longer make $75 smartphones profitably, while consumers seeking connectivity were increasingly having to stretch towards devices costing more than $200. Average selling prices across Africa rose by $41 year on year to $202, reversing the price declines seen in the same period of 2025.
The downturn was not uniform. South Africa stood out with 17 per cent shipment growth, helped by stronger purchasing power and continued demand for 5G phones. Nigeria, by contrast, saw an 11 per cent fall, while Egypt recorded a 26 per cent drop after manufacturers raised prices sharply during the quarter. Kenya also slipped 15 per cent, with demand particularly weak in the sub-$150 range.
Omdia said the pricing shock is reshaping vendor rankings. TRANSSION, whose brands include TECNO, Infinix and iTel, fell 14 per cent as its heavy exposure to low-cost phones left it vulnerable to the collapse in demand at the bottom end of the market. Samsung gained 15 per cent, supported by stronger demand for pricier devices and inventory management that left it with adequate stock of key models such as the Galaxy A07 and A17. HONOR continued to expand for a second quarter, helped by its focus on the more resilient $300-plus segment, while Xiaomi and OPPO posted declines of 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively as they took a more cautious approach to the entry-level market.
The latest quarter adds to a more cautious outlook for the rest of the year. Omdia said Africa’s smartphone market is entering a reset and expects a 26 per cent decline in 2026, as component inflation, currency pressure and affordability constraints continue to weigh on demand. The firm has also pointed to a broader global shift towards premium devices, with manufacturers increasingly forced to balance volume growth against profitability. Device financing is expected to become more important as vendors try to keep smartphones within reach without relying on the cheapest models.
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