Huawei has revealed that the launch of its Nova smartphone device to the African market early in Q1 2017 represents a focused effort to retain and build on recent gains in market share.

The latest device, which made its global debut at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show in September, will be launched in Cape Town on 2 February 2017 and is targeted at the midrange market.

Hawa Hyath, Marketing Director for Sub Saharan Africa at Huawei Technologies says the Nova device and Nova plus device will retail within the R3000 to R4000 bracket and it is hoped they will cement the company's growing popularity in the African market.

"We look at the consumer's need, the technology to match that need and the value in the market. Last year saw us take our market share from an idling three to five percent to up to ten percent and twelve percent. This year we closed off our market share at a solid 15 percent, so for Huawei to grow we must continue to understand the South African consumer needs a lot better. The 100 to 300 to 400 dollar range is our key focus areas for next year. We have already positioned this with Nova which we are excited to bring to the market. That will be our primary focus early next year. As Africans if we do not focus on that 400 dollar market we will be missing out on an opportunity. We have the youngest continent in the world and we can concentrate on that segment in order to cater for the people who deem us cool. "

Hyath says a survey conducted by Huawei this past year among young Africans showed that the majority regard a price below US$400, a battery pack as well as a camera as the most important features on a smartphone.

She says the Huawei Nova is categorised within the company's premium lite range and will target the youth alongside their G Series which was launched in August 2016. The Nova's technical specifications include a 14nm Processor, 3D Fingerprint Sensor, Dual SIM and a 1.25μm Larger Pixel with beauty mode, among other features.

Entry level focus

Hyath spoke of the challenge of affordability of devices and its impact on wider access to communication in Africa.

She says while the consumer group has registered notable success in the sale of its high end Mate series throughout 2016, the entry level segment remains a key focus.

"If you look at the South African market you have the likes of Mobicel and Vodafone and all of the other offerings in the lower end market. It is very important to cater for the entry level market and we play very strongly in that market with our Y series offering. Our Y series is very much for the entry level consumer and as the usage of the device changes that series will continue to evolve. I've met people who use the devices to buy airtime and insurance during their daily taxi commute. The value segment is always an important segment to consider."

While social media will be part of the marketing campaign for the Nova, Huawei will also make it possible for consumers to get interact with the device in an activation truck that will travel to popular venues around South Africa ahead of the official launch.

Launch dates and other details for african markets excluding South Africa have not been made available.