Raspberry Pi has announced that it will be producing some of its flagship hardware in Kenya. This is thanks to a partnership with Kenyan electronics manufacturer, Gearbox Europlacer. This comes as Liquid announced it will be re-selling Raspberry Pi devices to schools in Kenya.

The new products manufactures in Kenya beginning mid November 2022 will bear a “MADE IN KENYA” mark. They will be available to customers both in Kenya, and the East and Central Africa Region.

Raspberry Pi says it is working with local partners to include computing to the local STEM curriculum. The partnership with Gearbox Europlacer will increase access to these computing solutions that were previously difficult to procure.

Since inception, Raspberry Pi has been significantly instrumental in the resurgence of teaching basic computer skills across the world through their single board computers. These devices have sold over 50 million devices in the last 10 years.

Gearbox Europlacer is a world class electronics manufacturing services provider (EMS) based in Nairobi. It began its operations in 2021 to catalyse the development of best-fit intelligent African solutions that solve African problems, serving young innovators to mature companies in a variety of growth positive sectors such Agritech, climate change, electric mobility, smart metering solutions among others.

Gearbox Europlacer is a joint venture between Kenyan-owned organisation called Gearbox that has been instrumental in supporting local hardware innovations since 2014, and Europlacer, a British-owned Surface mount technology (SMT) equipment manufacturer fully owned by a Christian charity Parable Trust and Wellers Impact.