Vivo eyes sweet spot position in SA

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo aspires to secure a top three position in South Africa's competitive smartphone market. Tony Shi, the general manager of Vivo South Africa, shared insights into the brand's strategy during a recent interview with ITWeb. Globally, Vivo holds an 8% market share, placing it among the top five vendors as reported by Omdia's preliminary research for the third quarter.

Leading the global market are Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi, with Oppo occupying the fourth spot. In the second quarter of 2023, Vivo shipped 21.2 million smartphones worldwide. Historically, the South African market has been dominated by Samsung, Apple, and Huawei, with Honor, Xiaomi, and Oppo gaining ground in recent years. However, Huawei's ban from using Google Mobile Services in 2019 created an opportunity for other brands to vie for the top three position.

In 2023, Vivo diversified its product strategy by introducing medium and flagship range smartphones, available on contract via network operators. In the Android operating system, Vivo is now among the top four brands, having increased its investment in the market through marketing efforts and partnerships with all four major networks - Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom.

Vivo plans to launch the X500 series, featuring the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max, in South Africa in November. These new devices boast Zeiss high motion photography, 8k Native Live, Zeiss APO super telephoto, and large sensor with gimbal-level stabilisation. The X500 series signals Vivo's commitment to improving the camera experience generation by generation.

Vivo's product portfolio extends beyond smartphones, encompassing IoT devices, wearables, and earbuds. Although folding smartphones are a growing trend, Vivo has decided against launching foldable devices in the local market due to rising memory costs.