PICS: ITWeb visits Vivo’s headquarters in China

The newly-opened Vivo headquarters resides in the picturesque suburbs of Shenzhen, China. Shenzhen, known as China's trading city, is home to major IT firms and brands like Huawei, Honor, and Oppo. ITWeb was granted an exclusive tour of Vivo's new campus, which opened recently. The event coincided with the launch of Vivo's X500 series in Shanghai, with these flagship handsets set to be introduced in South Africa later in the year.

The tour included a visit to Vivo's manufacturing centre and production line, located in Dongguan. The new headquarters are a blend of traditional and modern architecture. Vivo has a workforce of over 14,000 employees, dispersed across various locations. The company was formed from the remnants of BBK in 1995, with the Vivo brand officially launched in 2011. This marked the release of the first mass-produced smartphone, the Vivo V1, featuring an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Vivo began its global expansion in 2014, with markets such as South Africa now part of its reach. The company started its local operations in 2019, and established a 5G research institute in 2014. A robotics lab and the development of the first mixed reality headset were also introduced in 2025. R&D is a top priority for Vivo, with 75% of the workforce dedicated to research and development.

The company operates two intelligent manufacturing centres in China, along with facilities in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, boasting an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million units. Vivo serves nearly 500 million users in over 60 countries with its products and services.