First Africa-Designed Smartphone Goes On Sale In Congo Posted on December 26, 2012 10:36 am under Business, Innovation & Science, Retail & Manufacturing, Strategies & Solutions VENTURES AFRICA – Congolese gadget manufacturer, VMK, has begun selling in Congo, Elikia, Africa’s first home-grown designed smartphone, in what has garnered international attention. The increase of consumer purchase, and the need to close technological gap on the African continent, has driven an influx of tech giants including RIM, Huawei, Techno, and Apple, into the region, with Africa having no indigenous manufacturer amongst the list. In 2009, VMK committed itself to giving Africans affordable access to technology in the mobile business where Africa is said to be comparatively behind. Elikia, which means ‘hope,’ and is priced at 85,000 FCFA ($171) by two major telecom operators in Congo – Airtel and Warid, has a 650 MHz processor, running gingerbread 2.3.6 with 126 MB of on-board storage. iPhone 4, an older Apple smartphone model, costs around $450 on the continent, though the device comes with enhanced features. Read on http://www.ventures-africa.com/2012/12/first-africa-designed-smartphone-goes-on-sale-in-congo/?utm_source=Wednesday%2C+26th+of+December&utm_campaign=PR%2C+Africa+Business%2C+Africa+Economy%2C+Africa+Entrepreneur%2C+Ventures+Africa&utm_medium=email Ali Hussein CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd +254 773/713 601113 "The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb Sent from my iPad