Fast Technology News, November 3: According to media reports, Samsung Electronics has made a major breakthrough in Africa's smartphone market, claiming the top spot locally for the first time in 31 years.

Data from market research firm TechInsights shows that Samsung became the revenue leader in Africa's smartphone market for the first time in the first quarter of this year, and extended its lead in the second quarter, taking first place in both revenue and shipments.

Notably, overall smartphone shipments in Africa fell 16.6% year-on-year in the second quarter of this year, yet Samsung bucked the trend with growth of 34.8%, outperforming the broader market.

This also marks the first time Samsung has topped the local smartphone market since it entered Africa in 1995.

Looking at full-year expectations, TechInsights predicts that Samsung's revenue share in Africa's smartphone market will reach 34.5% in 2026, with its shipment share expected to hit 38.7%, with both metrics expected to rank first.

Samsung's shipment share growth is particularly striking, rising from 22.4% in 2024 to 26.5% in 2025 and expected to climb further to 38.7% this year—a cumulative increase of 16.3 percentage points over two years.

Samsung's achievement is closely tied to its flexible installment payment strategy tailored to the African market.

Africa's smartphone market has long been dominated by low-priced models, with many products priced at around $100, while Samsung's main Galaxy A series models are priced at about $200.

For local consumers whose income is mainly based on daily or weekly wages, paying for a phone all at once is no small feat.

In response, Samsung has partnered with local carriers and fintech companies to launch flexible installment payment plans.

Consumers only need to pay a small down payment, and the remaining phone cost can be repaid via mobile payment on a daily or weekly basis, greatly lowering the threshold for buying a phone.

Beyond products and sales strategies, Samsung's brand influence in Africa also continues to rise.

In the 2026 Brand Africa 100 brand survey, Samsung ranked third among the brands most favored by African consumers, behind only Nike and Adidas, and was also the highest-ranked smartphone brand.