Finnish mobile company Jolla Limited has launched its smartphone running on independent Sailfish operating system in Namibia.

In a statement Jolla said it has partnered with Telecom Namibia to mark the first Africa launch of their device.

The Jolla smartphone is based on the heritage of Nokia and Meego, and offers a distinct user experience, says the company.

The smartphone is now available in Namibia exclusively through TN Mobile shops offline and online.

Sami Pienimäki, co-founder and CMO of Jolla said, "We are absolutely thrilled to be launching our Jolla smartphone in Africa, a totally new continent for Jolla. Together with our local partners LexConsult and Namibia Telecom, we look forward to offering Namibians a unique smartphone user experience based on Sailfish OS, our independent mobile operating system powered by open source software."

Namibia Telecom's mobile chief officer, Armando Perny added, "Jolla, with its independent mobile operating system Sailfish OS offers a fresh alternative to the smartphone market currently dominated by only a few players. We are very excited to be able to bring Jolla to Namibia. Together with TN Mobile's 4G LTE network we can offer an unrivalled mobile experience to all Namibians."