Affordability of devices remains one of the most
significant barriers to smartphone adoption in Africa. The average cost of an
entry level smartphone in Africa still exceeds 60% of average monthly income making
smartphones largely inaccessible for the majority of the population. As part
of the line-up of activities for the GSMA Thrive
Africa 2020, Orange announced the Sanza touch - an exclusive
Orange smartphone and the most affordable 4G Android (Go edition) device
globally. This exciting new launch is supported by Google and builds upon efforts
since the launch of Android (Go
edition) in 2018 to accelerate the pace of digital adoption
across the continent. The device will retail around 30 US$ and the
ultra-affordable price point is intended to make it the most accessible on
the market with the goal of driving digital inclusion and providing more
people access to mobile internet.
The Sanza touch is an accessible alternative for everyone due to its price
point and features including the Payjoy application, which allows customers
to overcome budget issues by paying for their smartphone over several
instalments (depending on availability in their country [1]).
This 4G Android (Go edition) smartphone has a 4” screen, 8GB memory and a
1750mAh battery, offering over 4 hours battery life while streaming videos.
Customers can use the Orange app collection (My Orange, Orange Money and
Livescreen to stay informed on the latest news trends) and access the most
popular apps including YouTube Go, Google Go, Facebook and WhatsApp.
The Sanza range was first launched in April 2019 in 13 countries [2] in
Africa and the Middle East, making it easier for many customers to come
online for the first time and discover the benefits of connectivity.
From October 2020, the Sanza touch smartphone will be available with a
bundled mobile data plan (voice, SMS, data) at around 30 US$. It will be sold
in most countries in the Middle East and Africa region, starting with Guinea
Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar.
For Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of
Orange Middle East and Africa: "Orange wants to strongly accelerate access to connectivity on the
African continent. One of the barriers to Internet use is the price and ease
of use of most smartphones. The partnership with Google to offer the Sanza
touch smartphone for sale will enable us to solve this problem thanks to its
affordable price and advanced functionalities. While 90% of the world's
population is now covered by mobile broadband, 3.3 billion people who live in
areas covered by mobile broadband remain unconnected for reasons such as
affordability, low levels of literacy and digital skills [3]. »
Mariam Abdullahi – Director,
Platform Partnerships, Android and Play – Africa for Google added:
"Our mission at Google has
always been to "Organise the world's information and make it universally
accessible to everyone". We deliver this mission through building
and providing our products and services via key partnerships like this one
with Orange. We are excited about the endless possibilities this Sanza
touch smartphone will present in learning, economic opportunities and
digital accessibility. The Goal of our Android devices, including
this first-of-its kind highly affordable Android (Go edition) device is to
bring the power of computing equitably to all. We can only achieve this
mission if everyone is able to access devices at affordable price points to
use in their daily lives and have access to the benefits presented by the
digital world."
Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it had
124 million customers on 30 July 2020. With 5.6 billion euros in turnover in
2019 and 6% annual growth, Orange MEA is the Group’s main region of growth.
Orange Money, its mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is
available in 17 countries and has 54 million customers. Orange, a
multi-service operator, benchmark partner of the digital transformation,
provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in
Africa and the Middle East.
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