Mara Corporation Limited (MCL), the conglomerate founded by Ugandan entrepreneur Ashish J. Thakkar, is set to launch a smartphone in 2018, which aims to be a low cost, high quality and super efficient smartphone tailor-made for the African continent.
Africa presents a huge opportunity to use mobile technology to leapfrog other regions in economic growth. According to The Mobile Economy: Sub-Saharan Africa 2017 report released by GSMA, by the end of 2016 the region had reached 731 million SIM card connections, with the expectation of reaching 1 billion by 2020. Mobile phones created $110 billion in economic value for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2016, 7.7% of the region’s GDP. As of March 2017, approximately 270 million people in the region were accessing the internet through mobile devices, and the number of registered mobile money accounts reached 280 million.
From Forbes. Story by .
“We want to be part of this change,” said Mara Founder Ashish J. Thakkar, in a conversation with this writer. “Just look at the uptake of mobile money in Africa and imagine the opportunity this continent has to leap ahead through the use of mobile technology. Right now, Africans have to choose between a quality phone and one they can afford. It’s slowing us down. With mobile internet access and a couple of handy apps, a smartphone can create jobs and enable innovation. Beyond creating and consuming content, a smartphone can raise the GDP of Sub-Saharan Africa!”
Read more at Forbes.
