Apple takes emerging markets seriously. As the tech giant seeks to build foundations from which to achieve future growth, it is taking position in those markets.
Just look at the rollout.
Since 2019 — even during COVID — Apple has continued to expand the number of stores it has in place across more established markets, while opening for business in global markets including India, Vietnam, South Korea, UAE, Türkiye, Thailand, and Mexico.
Chasing growth, Apple has global ambitions and is doing its level best to establish a foothold in every territory that may deliver economic buoyancy as traditional markets face steep decline.
That’s a lesson for every enterprise, of course, in that the myriad of interlinked challenges we face inevitably tear strips from traditional models of continued growth. We need to make more from less, in every sense — Apple’s work to build circular manufacturing systems points to another facet of this.
With this as the current environment, it must then be only a matter of time before Apple takes a position in Africa.
Apple’s bird’s-eye view
We know Apple is taking a high-level interest in such matters.
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with USAID administrator Samantha Power just the other day to discuss cooperation in support of Ukraine and the potential to support development in other emerging democracies.
“Administrator Power and Cook also discussed the potential for partnerships in support of addressing shared development challenges, such as support for burgeoning democracies, enhancing educational opportunities, capacity building for governments, and trade integration,” a USAID press release claimed.
While much of Africa remains politically fractured, some nations are primed for business.
The continent offers huge potential for next-generation technology and communication services; innovative connected manufacturing and agricultural systems; resource and water management services; and, at the consumer level, payment and banking services.
Africa’s new digital opportunity
Not only this, but Africa also now accounts for 70% of the world’s $1 trillion mobile money value, with over 600 million mobile wallets used across the region. In Kenya, 84% of internet users were using mobile payments in 2021, according to the World Economic Forum. In Nigeria that figure was 60%, with South Africa’s adoption in third place at 21%.
It is interesting to note that both Kenya (23%) and Nigeria (34%) have yet to get internet connectivity to the majority of the population, while in South Africa, connectivity has reached 68%.
The connectivity challenge across much of the region can be summed up by a lack of legacy fixed-line infrastructure. 5G deployment is relatively slow, though the GSMA estimates that some of the biggest African economies (including Kenya and Nigeria) will gain access to 5G networks by 2025.
Satellite may well be part of the answer, and that is certainly what existing incumbents in the…
2023-10-11 15:48:02
Post from www.computerworld.com rnrn