HONOR Jumps 283%, Xiaomi 32%, OPPO 17% While Kenya Adds Just 1% as Africa’s Q1 2025 Smartphone Market Hits 19.4M Units

Insights At a Glance:

• Kenya’s smartphone market grew just 1% in Q1 2025 while Africa hit 6%, according to a Canalys report.
• HONOR (283%), Xiaomi (32%), and OPPO (17%) saw major gains across Africa, challenging TRANSSION’s dominance as shifting consumer preferences favor better specs and sleek design.
• Canalys forecasts a modest 3% full-year growth for Africa.

Kenya’s smartphone market may not be making headlines for exponential growth, but it is quietly laying down strong digital roots—thanks to a new wave of vendor momentum and consumer-driven innovation. According to a new Canalys report published last month, Kenya recorded a modest 1% year-on-year growth in smartphone shipments in Q1 2025. However, behind this calm exterior lies a larger, continent-wide narrative where brands like HONOR, Xiaomi, and OPPO are reshaping Africa’s mobile ecosystem.

While Egypt and South Africa headline the African smartphone growth story—with Egypt seeing a massive 34% increase in shipments and South Africa posting a strong 14%—Kenya’s relatively slower pace tells a more nuanced story of market transformation. “Early signs are positive, driven by the steady adoption of flexible financing models,” notes the report. These models, such as partnerships with OnFon Mobile and LOOP, are making smartphones more accessible to cost-conscious Kenyans, particularly the youth demographic that dominates the country’s digital landscape.

Meanwhile, a recent Consumer Research report shows the broader Middle East and Africa (MEA) region grew even faster, at 7% year-on-year. That slight edge was attributed to 5 major reasons, among them the overlapping festive periods like Ramadan and Easter, which drove promotions and sales, especially in the sub-$100 price segment.

Why MEA Smartphone Market Grew Faster

The Consumer Research report breaks it down into five clear reasons why MEA’s growth outpaced Africa’s:

1. Festive demand during Ramadan and Easter supercharged retail campaigns.
2. Cooling inflation helped make smartphones more affordable.
3. Better low-end devices hit the market, especially Android phones under $100.
4. Feature-packed devices are becoming common—even budget buyers now expect 5G and OLED screens.
5. Refined vendor strategies, including leaner product lines and better regional channel management.

This closely mirrors what Canalys found in Africa: 85% of all smartphones shipped in Q1 were 4G, with mid-tier devices ($100–$199) accounting for 42% of the market.

Still, broader economic challenges are tempering growth across the continent. “Africa’s smartphone market holds promise in 2025, but persistent economic challenges are keeping growth in check,” says Manish Pravinkumar, Principal Analyst at Canalys. Inflation, foreign exchange fluctuations, and bureaucratic inefficiencies continue to hamper high-end purchases and investment optimism.

Kenya in Context

So where does Kenya stand in all this?

Yes, the 1% growth is modest. But according to Canalys, the early signs are encouraging—especially with the rise of financing models that are helping more Kenyans afford quality smartphones, especially among the youth, who continue to drive digital trends in the country.

There’s a vibrancy in Kenya’s tech culture that vendors are beginning to recognize—and capitalize on. In Q1 2025, Xiaomi recorded a staggering 32% growth continent-wide, bolstered by strong sales in Egypt and Nigeria. Its Redmi 14C and A-series models like the Redmi A5—offering compelling specs at budget-friendly prices—are proving to be hits. While Xiaomi’s Kenyan growth isn’t broken out in the report, its continent-wide strategy of affordability and performance has resonance here, especially among price-sensitive but tech-savvy youth.

Meanwhile, OPPO saw 17% growth, driven in part by its push into omnichannel retail and local assembly projects. The A-series and Reno line, both stylish and competitively priced, are gradually gaining traction in urban Kenyan markets. “OPPO’s blend of local assembly pilots with omnichannel pushes… lifted its visibility,” the report highlights—a strategy that could serve them well in Kenya’s highly localized retail environment.

But the real disruptor this quarter is HONOR. Once viewed as a niche brand, HONOR catapulted into the spotlight with a mind-blowing 283% growth, largely thanks to its premium Magic series and 5G partnerships with telecom giants MTN and Vodacom. In a market where 4G still dominates—85% of Q1 2025 shipments were 4G devices—the early push into 5G positions HONOR as a forward-looking contender. Kenyan techies, especially those keeping an eye on the next generation of connectivity, are likely to watch HONOR’s moves closely.

Still, TRANSSION—the umbrella group for brands like TECNO, itel, and Infinix—remains Africa’s dominant player, holding 47% market share. But its Q1 2025 dip of 5% in shipments signals potential fatigue. “Competitors have begun replicating their [TRANSSION’s] three-tier channel model, built on national distributors, regional wholesalers and micro-retailers offering credit, promotions, and localized after-sales support. This has enabled deep reach, but rivals are now winning over young shoppers with sleeker designs, better specs and bolder marketing,” Pravinkumar explains. That’s a shift that will be felt in Kenya, where smartphone buyers are increasingly discerning and brand-savvy.

So, while Kenya’s growth was flat, the same can’t be said for some of the top global smartphone brands:

• HONOR shocked the market with a massive 283% growth across Africa, thanks to its high-end Magic series and 5G bundles with telcos like MTN and Vodacom.
• Xiaomi rose 32%, riding on the success of the Redmi 14C and A-series devices—offering solid specs at great prices.
• OPPO grew 17%, supported by its focus on local assembly and sleek mid-range devices like the A-series and Reno line.

TRANSSION Leads Africa’s Smartphone Unit Shipments in Q1 2025

Canalys provided shipment figures for Q1 2025, offering a clearer picture of which brands are winning—and which are stalling:

• TRANSSION (TECNO, itel, Infinix): 9 million units shipped (down 5% YoY, 47% market share), TRANSSION is still the undisputed leader across Africa, but it is feeling the heat from rising competition.
• Samsung: 4 million units shipped (up 7% YoY, 21% market share), Samsung dominated South Africa and Egypt with A-series devices like the A06 and A16 comprising 60% of total shipments.
• Xiaomi: 2.6 million units shipped (up 32% YoY, 13% market share), Xiaomi’s value-packed Redmi 14C and A-series devices are resonating strongly across Egypt, Nigeria—and increasingly, Kenya.
• OPPO: 700,000 units shipped (up 17% YoY, 3% market share), OPPO’s hybrid retail strategy and locally assembled mid-range offerings are paying off.
• HONOR: 700,000 units shipped (up 283% YoY, 3% market share), the breakout star of the quarter, HONOR’s Magic series and 5G telco bundles have catapulted it into the African spotlight.
• Other brands (e.g., Apple, Realme, Vivo): 2.4 million units (up 7% YoY, 13% combined market share).

Looking ahead, Canalys forecasts only a modest 3% growth for Africa’s smartphone market in 2025, citing “sluggish infrastructure development, rising sovereign debt and macroeconomic instability.” According to Pravinkumar, “global trade disruptions, driven by US-China tensions, are expected to dampen consumer sentiment in major economies, with cascading effects on emerging markets.” Kenya won’t be immune to these pressures. But if the local market continues to embrace financing options, homegrown distribution networks, and digitally ambitious youth, its mobile future remains bright—even if slow-burning for now.

Kenya may be playing the long game, but with rising vendor diversity and smarter financing frameworks, the country is quietly carving its space in Africa’s tech narrative – but we’ll need the right mix of affordability, financing, and vendor innovation to catch up.

As brands like HONOR, Xiaomi, and OPPO double down on the region, and as festive retail strategies take root locally, Kenya’s smartphone journey is just getting started. And as always, we’ll be right here tracking every step.