Samsung Electronics has overtaken rivals to rank first in Africa’s smartphone market in 2026, recording the highest revenue and unit sales across the continent despite a broader industry slowdown.
New industry data from market research firm TechInsights shows that Samsung led African smartphone revenue in the first quarter of 2026 before clinching the top spot in both revenue and shipment volume in the second quarter. While overall smartphone sales across Africa fell by 16.6 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, Samsung’s unit sales rose by 34.8 percent over the same period.
For the full year 2026, TechInsights projects Samsung to capture 38.7 percent of Africa’s smartphone unit volume and 34.5 percent of market revenue. This marks a sharp jump from its 22.4 percent unit share in 2024 and 26.5 percent in 2025.
In Nigeria and other major African markets, the growth has been driven largely by flexible device-financing schemes tailored to daily and weekly earners. Through partnerships with local fintech firms and telecom operators, including M-KOPA and Watu, buyers make a small initial deposit and pay off devices in daily or weekly mobile money instalments.
According to company figures, these instalment plans accounted for 46 percent of Samsung’s smartphone revenue in Africa in 2026.
The lower upfront cost has also boosted demand for higher-end models, with regional sales of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S and foldable Z series rising 20 percent year-on-year. Alongside flexible payments, Samsung expanded its after-sales service network to 281 locations across 38 countries and introduced up to six years of operating system and security updates on its mid-range Galaxy A series to attract buyers who rely on their phones for mobile banking and daily transactions.
