Rwandan President Paul Kagame inaugurated the first Smartphone production plant called Mara Phone on Monday, October 7, 2019. A first in the African continent that was limited to importing smartphones made especially in Asia. Mara phone is the business of millionaire Ashish Thakkar based in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, it will now produce smartphones “made in Rwanda.”
The new company intends to produce high quality smartphones at a price accessible to citizens. The particularity of these phones named Mara X and Mara Z, lies in the quality of the battery, the large storage space and the update of the android version over 2 years through a partnership with Google.
This high-tech factory will help create jobs, especially for young people. It will contribute to the improvement of living conditions at the national level and economic growth both in Rwanda and on the African continent. The long-term goal is to penetrate the African market as a whole, dominated 74.4% by Asian manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei or Transsion.
Beyond the African continent, the company also plans to export these phones “made in Rwanda” to the international outside Africa. His wish: to highlight the expertise and ingenuity of African technicians. The telecommunications company says it has the technological competence to achieve its objectives.
