Mobile phone maker Nokia's latest range of Asha smartphones are already shipping to markets such as Kenya and Nigeria while South Africans have to wait until March for the devices.

This is according to Nokia officials speaking at a showcase event held in Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesday.

Nokia’s communications manager for South and East Africa, Leo McKay, told ITWeb Africa that the Asha 500, 502 and 503 phone ranges are already shipping to Kenya and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the sub $100 Asha range smartphones are planned to be rolled out in stages from March in South Africa.

Nokia not only unveiled its Asha range smartphones but also the much anticipated version of its phablet phone, the Lumia 1520.

Nokia also announced that the Lumia 1520 would be available immediately in South Africa through mobile operators MTN and Vodacom.

"In Kenya, for instance, at the end of January we launched the 1520 and 1320, which is a more affordable version of the device. The Asha 500, 502 and 503 are already shipping in that market," said McKay.

He added, "If you look at other African markets like Nigeria, the Asha devices are also shipping in Nigeria and through a bunch of different distributors -- we work with different distributors -- it’s hard to say exactly for every African market."

For the South African market the Asha 502 is set to be sold as a dual-SIM phone. And in Kenya the Asha 500 is planned to be shipped as a dual-SIM phone, while for the Nigerian market, both the 500 and 503 are also to be shipped as dual-SIM handsets.

Head of product for Nokia South and East Africa, Patrick Henchie, said the company's new Asha range smartphones have introduced Nokia's new "Ice" design concept.

The phones also have a redesigned user interface, which allow users to swipe to navigate the phone, whether answering a call, viewing notifications or closing an app, Henchie said.

The swipe function also activates the built-in camera.

Other Asha range features include a camera experience that is more social giving users the option to post an image to Facebook or Twitter with just one touch.

The phones also have a ‘fastlane’ feature that is a second screen that acts as a shortcut to the phone’s recently accessed apps, features and content, as well as future activity, such as calendar appointments.