The two smartphones

On Monday^[1], the Mara Group launched
two smartphones in Rwanda, and the interesting part of the news is
that these are 100% made on the continent. They are the first-ever
‘Made in Africa’^[2]
phones. 

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame^[3]
inaugurated the event, describing it as Africa’s “first high tech
smartphone factory.”

This is an exciting moment not only for Rwanda but for the
continent. 

RELATED: KENYA LAUNCHES AFRICA’S
LARGEST WIND POWER PROJECT^[4]

The two smartphones

The Mara Group — a pan-African business that is headquartered in
Dubai, UAE — is behind these innovations.

This week, the Group launched two types^[5]
of smartphones: the Mara X with 16GB (US$ 130) of
storage, and the more advanced Mara Z with 32GB (US$
190) of storage. 

Cann’t wait to have a Mara-Phone! Time to
change the taste and support locally produced goods! #Rwanda #Kigali #RwOT @MaraPhones https://t.co/xVfnfl6UCf^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Both smartphones cost a little higher than the average
smartphone currently sold in Rwanda. However, the Group promises^[12] that they will deliver
“high-quality smartphones at an affordable price.”

Both devices are already available for purchase online or at the
Mara Group’s stores in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. 

Ok #Africa, Let’s
support @MaraPhones
#MadeinRwanda
https://t.co/MZNa33qFPH^{[13][14][15][16]}

Why the desire for entirely regional-made products?

Mara Group^[18] is not the first
company to boast entirely homemade African smartphones.

Other African companies in Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria, and South
Africa assemble smartphones on the continent; but, the parts are
imported from abroad. 

I call upon all fellow #Africans to buy
and start using this 100% #MadeInAfrica
#MadeinRwanda
#smartphone
#Maraphone
@MaraPhones
#Africa #AfCFTA @AfCfta @_AfricanUnion
@_AfricanUnion
#Rwanda #RwOT #SDGs #ICT @AfDB_Group
#YesWeCan https://t.co/ZRuRTco9yY^{[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]}

Mara Group CEO, Ashish Thakkar, said: “We are
actually the first who are doing manufacturing. We are making the
motherboards, we are making the sub-boards during the entire
process.” He continued, “There are over 1,000 pieces per
phone.”^[38]

The company hopes to profit from the African Continental Free Trade
Agreement^[39], a pact that aims to
form a 55-nation trade block, in order to push
sales across Africa. 

The new factory is a big step forward for Rwanda^[40], which has worked to
transform itself into an economic innovation
leader. 

#RwandaWorks
congratulations to @MaraPhones.
https://t.co/UTGylosBEb^[41][42][43]

Furthermore, President Kagame said he hoped that the new
smartphones would boost the country’s use of smartphones, which is
currently only at 15%^[45]. 

The company’s initial target market is the local one. They hope
to branch out internationally to other markets in the
future.