Stay at home Corona move boosted laptop sales - firm

Remote working and schooling during the Covid-19 period drove up the sale of tables and laptops, latest date shows.

Sales grew by 25 percent in East Africa compared to the previous year according to Salute iWorld, East Africa’s Apple reseller. 

Tablets took the highest peak in the period followed by laptops as the government urged citizens to stay at home to avoid further spread of coronavirus. 

“Basket value grew 10 per cent, especially driven by work from home measures and the need for IT solutions during the pandemic. Students were also studying from home and needed gadgets,” said Michelle Abuya, the firms senior business manager.

Kenya led the in demand for IT products, followed by Uganda and Tanzania respectively. 

The rise has also been attributed to the presence of expatriates as the country is a hub for multiple international organisations. 

“Nairobi has the most developed tech scene in East Africa rivaling hubs like Cape Town, Lagos and Cairo,” she explained. 

Going forward, the demand for such gadgets is expected to grow due to the increasing middle class and the demand for remote working as companies adapt a hybrid work model. 

“Some companies might allow every employee the flexibility to work on-site and remotely part of the week. Other companies might have employees working either full-time remote or full-time on-site. And others might allow a combo of the two,” she said.

She added that some of the new ripe markets for the penetration of IT products include South Sudan and Congo as demand continues to increase. 

Globally, laptop shipment went up by 26 per cent in 2020 according to GSMArena statistics with revenue growing to $140.3 billion (Sh15.7 trillion) up $4.6 billion (Sh515.2 billion) year on year.  

This year the revenue is expected to grow again, reaching $142.1 billion.

The US remains the largest market and will account for around $36.1 billion in revenue, followed by China ($19.6 billion) and Japan ($9.8 billion).