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NewsDay

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Astro mobile targets close to 10% market share

Business
ASTRO Mobile Zimbabwe says it is targeting close to 10% market share of the country’s mobile phone market.

ASTRO Mobile Zimbabwe says it is targeting close to 10% market share of the country’s mobile phone market.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

Speaking at the launch of a new line of cellphones last week in Harare, Astro Mobile chief executive officer, Munyaradzi Gwatidzo, said they would rely on data provided by the Postal Regulation Authority (Potraz) to determine the level of their market penetration, saying their initial target was 10%.

“It is difficult to come up with a market share in Zimbabwe because we do not have official figures, but obviously we just have to use what Potraz releases out on smart phones that are out on the market, versus what we would have sold, we are looking at a plus or minus 10% now,” he said.

“The operations have been very tough, but obviously, where there is an economic slowdown you do not have access to capital, loans or money, so as a business you have to find innovative ways to grow without necessarily borrowing.”

Astro Mobile chief executive officer Munyaradzi Gwatidzo

Gwatidzo said as part of their marketing strategies, they will soon release a new line of phones, with high specifications and sell them at lower prices. Last week, Astro Moblie released its new Slide Series of mobile phones, with the most expensive of the series called the Slide Note that comes with a smart watch.

According to a report published by TechZiM in July, smart phone penetration in Zimbabwe is 15%.

“We are currently working with NetOne, they are distributing our products, retail distributors like Truworths, Topics, TelOne, and all these other distribution outlets are selling our products. We have also recently signed a deal with Econet,” Gwatidzo said.

“So we are now getting a lot of support from local companies, besides that, we have managed to sign deals with big continental networks like MTN and we are now supplying our devices to these big networks throughout Africa.”

He said the company were looking into selling their devices in the region in countries like Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa and Nigeria before the end of the first quarter next year.