Johannesburg - Chinese manufacturer Oppo is upping the ante in innovation ahead of the local launch of its flagship smartphone, the Reno7 5G.
Oppo is expected to launch its latest premium offering to South Africans at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday.
After entering the country a year and a half ago, Oppo celebrated its increase to a double-digit market share in South Africa at the end of 2021.
Avashnee Moodley, head of marketing for Oppo South Africa, told IOL the company was confident that innovation in technology, and an affordable price, would drive growth further.
“Innovation is a key value of Oppo, and we remain committed to creating technology for mankind,” Moodley said.
“As South Africans began to interact with the brand, we started to see huge shifts towards our devices given the excellent craftsmanship and state of the art technology available at price points that worked for the everyday citizen,” she told IOL.
Growth in South Africa
Moodley added that since its introduction to the market, Oppo had seen over 300 000 customers in South Africa, using various devices available across multiple pricing tiers.
Oppo smartphones are available through South Africa’s top five network operators, including Vodacom, Cell C, MTN and Telkom. It has partnered with Rain’s 5G service to offer customers 5G CPE routers.
The company has a stable of five smartphones available in the country, including the A54s, A16, A16s, A74 5G and the Reno5 5G. This line-up will be bolstered by the introduction of Reno7 5G, to be announced on Thursday.
Reno7 5G and future products
Key features of the Reno7 5G include new charging technology for a full charge, from 0 to 100% in 35 minutes, design enhancements, storage upgrades, AI Portrait expert feature and the latest Android operating system.
“With our latest device, users can expect superb technology that works at creating a more enjoyable, user-friendly experience,” Moodley said, commenting on the Reno7 5G.
Oppo is expected to bundle premium smartphones such as the Reno7 5G, its true wireless Bluetooth earphones, Enco Buds and other accessories.
The Oppo Watch Free will also be available in South Africa, marking the brand’s introduction of wearable technology locally.
“Thus far, we have only a 0.3% return rate, proving the durability and quality of Oppo devices. As we continue to grow, we plan on further diversifying our offerings and expand on our product range outside of just smartphones, routers and wearable devices,” Moodley said.
Focus on South Africans
Since Oppo entered the local market, Moodley said that the company was taking steps to entrench itself among South Africans.
The company recently joined the Orlando Pirates Football Club as their official smartphone partner and agreed a partnership with SA Fashion week.
“The SA Fashion Week partnership has allowed us to tap into local creativity, aligned to our brand of creativity and innovation in technology,” Moodley said.
“We are establishing the brand in this market as we realise it is a potential growth market. Our approach to investing in the country is through empowering local teams and creating opportunities for employment across all our operations, including having provided over 500 jobs in South Africa,” she added.
IOL Tech