Egyptian smartphone market leads as Africa’s top growing market in Q1 2025

According to a report by Canalys, Egypt led North Africa’s smartphone market in the first quarter of 2025, with shipments increasing by 34 percent compared to the same period last year. This strong performance was supported by measures such as IMEI whitelisting to address grey-market imports, enhanced macroeconomic conditions, and a renewed focus on boosting local production.

Meanwhile, the broader African smartphone market continued its upward trajectory, marking the eighth straight quarter of growth. Canalys, now part of Omdia, noted a 6 percent year-on-year increase in shipments across the continent, totaling 19.4 million units during Q1 2025.

Algeria followed with a solid 16 percent expansion, supported by government policies, advances in telecom infrastructure, and growing consumer adoption of mobile payment platforms like the recent launch of “DZ Mob Pay.”

While demand for entry-level devices softened in some regions, Africa benefited from robust offline retail activity and vendor efforts to cover diverse market segments. Key policy initiatives, currency stabilization, and early product launches targeting value-conscious buyers helped sustain this momentum.