Starting mid-December, at the earliest, Kenyans will be able to buy Xiaomi smartphones from Safaricom shops.
This is according to the handlers of the Chinese technology brand in the country.
While it is not yet clear what Xiaomi devices will be available for purchase in Safaricom shops, one thing is clear: it’s unlikely that you will be able to purchase the company’s acclaimed Pocophone F1 as its sales will be limited to Xiaomi Kenya’s sole online partner, Jumia Kenya.
By having its devices stocked in Safaricom shops, Xiaomi, through its local distributors, will be positioning itself to take the local market by storm come the new year. Already, the brand has had incredible bargains over the last few months on its smartphones and things can only look better for them.
Pairing up with Kenya’s largest mobile network operator gives the brand the visibility it badly needs and something that its competitors, like Transsion (Tecno, Infinix), Huawei, Oppo, HMD Global (Nokia) and Samsung have had an advantage over due to their well-established networks across the country. Xiaomi has largely relied on online sales even though its devices could still be purchased in a few physical stores in Nairobi.
