Information communication technology (ICT) company Astro Mobile has expanded its operations to Mashonaland East province with the launch of a new branch in Marondera yesterday.
By Jairos Saunyama
Officially launching the new mobile phone branch, Marondera mayor Anthony Makwindi said ICT companies should be supported as they were the future of the economy.
“We strongly believe that ICT companies like Astro can become pillars of growth if they are supported. As a town we recognise the immense potential which Astro has in creation of employment. Currently at least 30 people are employed here in Marondera,” Makwindi said.
“It is good to have many companies opening doors, while others are shutting, rendering people jobless and leaving them destitutes.” Astro Mobile is a wholly-owned Zimbabwean company which manufactures phones and tablets, among other electronic gadgets.
The Marondera branch is the company’s sixth in the country. Astro Mobile chief executive officer Munyaradzi Gwatidzo said the company was doing well in the business, adding that it would manufacture LED television sets soon.
“Astro Mobile is growing steadily and I am glad that this mobile company is the first or one of the few in Africa that is manufacturing mobile phones. Most of the phones are being imported from Asia and statistics show that 90% of mobile manufacturers are not in Africa,” Gwatidzo said.
“The opening of this new branch shows that we are thriving in a difficult economy, where other companies are retrenching but we are employing people. When the economic boom returns, we would be in a better position as we would be well established.”
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Astro Mobile recently made headlines when it launched its home-made eight-inch Funbook (tablet) in Bulawayo with a variant of amazing features.
The Funbook is loaded with different features such as Android 4,1,2, pre-installed Bible, eight mega pixel camera, two-Gig Ram, quad core processor 1’5 GHz, voice call function, bluetooth 3,0/WiFi, eight-inch HD screen, application that can open any format of pictures or videos and application for local and international newspapers.
