Africa Grows as a Market for Tech Products

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

Africa has become a growing market for high technology products. It may soon become a base for many more high tech companies as well. Experts predict growing competition in Africa as technology companies and others attempt to meet the needs of young and middle class populations.

DHL calls itself the “logistics company for the world.” Logistics is the process of planning complex activities involving people and resources. DHL provides transportation by train, road, sea and air. The company sees Africa as a place where its business can expand. But, for that to happen, more international companies will need to invest and set upoperations there.

Sumesh Rahavendra is with DHL. He says there is a lot of evidence of growingoperations by multinational companies in Africa. They include SAP, IBM and Hisense, a Chinese state-owned company. Sumesh Rahavendra is the company’s head of marketing for sub-Saharan Africa. He says the area offers many possibilities for growth. He points out that many people who never used a desktop computer are now using tablets and smartphones. He describes the continent’s one billion people as a largely untouched market for many kinds of products.

DHL has been operating in Africa for more than 35 years. Sumesh Rahavendra predicts that as more and more companies set up operations in Africa, DHL’s business will increase. DHL says Africa is now the world’s second largest mobile technology market, by connections, after Asia. In addition, it is the fastest growing mobile communications market in the world.

For VOA Learning English, I’m Laurel Bowman.