Sony Unveils Expansion Plans In Africa

Sony has disclosed a multi-faceted expansion plan of a $1.4 billion target across the African Continent.

Unveiling the blueprint in cape Town, South African recently, the company said it intends to transform the African Consumers’ experience in the electronic sector by launching the latest technology products, experiential Sony brand stores and setting up authorised service centres in almost every country in Nigeria cum Africa.

The Company also said it plans to establish new zonal offices in Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana and Angola where local human resources would be engaged and identify business partners with the capacity to compliment the Sony growth strategy in Africa.

The managing director, Sony Middle East and Africa, Hiroyasu Sugiyama said “Africa is undoubledly one of the most important market for Sony. By 2015, we hope to achieve a $1.4 billion share in the consumer electronics space, including the fast-growing mobile phone business. The numbers certainly look exciting, but our immediated focus is to identify tactics that help us move towards our target. The Sony roadmap for Africa constitutes a four-pillared strategy based on ‘product; ‘customer; ‘community’ and ‘operation”’.

Sony plans to synchronise its international launches to include the African continent in its entirety. According to the firm, from the award-winning Sony xperia z smart phone, the XPERIA tablet and the BRAVIA 4K TVs to the World’s most powerful audio system, the shake 7 stereo, it will look to reduce the wait-time and increase the availability of its products, especially those tailored for African consumer.

Incidentally, Sony is adjudged number one in the audio products category in Africa, commanding a market share of over 40per cent. In South Africa alone, one in two customers seeking audio products has been found to opt for Sony.

The company is also set to rollout it unique branded stores, Sony World, in key market to give potential buyers a chance to see and feel the unmatched quality of its products.

The firm also announced the launch of 67 authorised service centres in Africa this year, which will be increased to 87 centers by March 2014.

Sugiyama add: “Africa is a vast continent and we understand that it is made up of different and diverse countries with many languages and cultures that require localised communication.

We are moving fast to satisfy these requirements and preferences through vehicles such as a multi-Lingual Sony Website in Africa’s predominant languages including French, Portuguese, English, and Arabic. We are also looking to launch a dedicated Sony Facebook Page for Africa.