Samsung Electronics recorded higher revenue and increased unit sales in the first half of this year in Africa, despite an overall slowdown in the region’s smartphone market. A daily and weekly instalment payment model that targets ultra-low-priced devices has been a major driver of Galaxy S and Z series sales, according to market data.
TechInsights data show Samsung ranked first in revenue in Africa’s smartphone market in the first quarter and ranked first in both revenue and unit sales in the second quarter. The firm says this is the first time Samsung has achieved those positions in the region since it entered Africa in 1995.
The customised daily and weekly instalment model in Africa, where ultra-low-priced products around $100 dominate, accounts for 46% of revenue sales of the Galaxy S and Z series, TechInsights reports. Sales for the Galaxy S and Z series in Africa rose 20% year-on-year this year.
Samsung’s local strategy and instalment model
The flexible payment option allowing customers to pay in daily or weekly amounts has been singled out as a key factor behind Samsung’s performance in Africa. TechInsights also notes that while total smartphone sales in the African market fell 16.6% year-on-year in the second quarter, Samsung’s unit sales surged 34.8% in the same period.
On an annual basis, TechInsights expects Samsung to rank first in both revenue and unit sales for Africa, projecting a 34.5% share of sales value and a 38.7% share of unit volume.
Global market backdrop and product mix
Globally, smartphone shipments remained weak in 2026. Omdia reports that global smartphone shipments fell 20% year-on-year to 254.7 million units in the third quarter, the lowest Q3 total since 2013. Despite subdued shipments, Samsung remained the world’s largest smartphone vendor, shipping 57.8 million units, down 5% year-on-year.
Omdia attributes part of Samsung’s resilience to its entry- and mid-range Galaxy A series, which helped the company remain competitive as rival Android brands faced memory supply constraints and higher prices. The August launch of the Galaxy Z8 series, supported by trade-in and upgrade programmes, strengthened Samsung’s position in the premium segment.
On emerging markets, Omdia principal analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said: “Emerging markets, once the backbone of global smartphone volume growth, are now facing the greatest pressure from rising prices.” Omdia data show Africa recorded the steepest contraction at 39% year-on-year, as rising costs shifted vendors’ focus from aggressive expansion to margin protection and selective shipments.
Samsung’s 2026 full-year forecast is projected to reach 38.7%, representing an increase of more than 16 percentage points in two years. The company’s smartphone unit sales in Africa were 22.4% in 2024 and 26.5% in 2025.
