Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 17-10-2019

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to launch Africa’s first smartphone manufacturing plant at the Dube Trade Port in Durban.

Rawanda’s Mara Group headed by CEO Ashish Thakkar announced plans to manufacture the affordable Mara X and Mara Z smartphones in South Africa at the inaugural South African Investment Conference held in November 2018.

Thakkar pledged an investment of just over R1.5 billion to manufacture the smartphone and has reportedly already pumped just over R700 million into the Durban plant.

The group launched two smartphones in Rwanda earlier this month, describing them as the first “Made in Africa” models.

The two smartphones are developed in partnership with Google, as part of the Android One Program.

Mara Group’s website says the plant was set to produce just over 1,2 million smartphone handsets annually.

The company says the staff complement at the Durban plant would comprise 90% youth and 60% women.