Xiaomi has said in the past that they have plans to expand globally, but they would do so in a strategic fashion. The next step in their transition is going to take place on the African continent as Xiaomi prepares to start selling smartphones in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. In addition to the new continent, Xiaomi is also breaking with their business practice of selling direct to consumers by partnering with Mobile in Africa Group, MIA Group, to handle all sales, marketing and customer support in these new markets.
Xiaomi will only be selling two models initially, the Redmi 2 and the Mi 4. Sales are slated to commence in mid-November, perhaps as soon as November 11th – Singles Day, which is a huge sales day in that market akin to Black Friday.
Raymond Tian, global strategy director for Xiaomi says, “We see Africa as the next frontier for smartphone growth, and we are excited to be partnering with MIA Group to offer consumers in these three countries our high-quality smartphones at amazing prices.” Xiaomi had sales of almost 35 million units during the first half of 2015 when they managed to overtake Apple as the top manufacturer in the Chinese market. Since then, they have been eclipsed by Huawei. Xiaomi set a goal of selling 100 million smartphones during 2015, so they need some big numbers during the holiday season. Opening up to new markets should help them hit the target.
source: The Wall Street Journal
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