Microsoft has a long history of doing business in Africa, at least for about 20 years and now, with the new Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative, the software giant will actively engage in Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness. They are focusing on three critical areas – World-class skills, Access and Innovation.
The company is planning on releasing affordable Windows Phone devices for the African market, though there’s not been any information on what devices they intend to release as of now. Also, Microsoft’s working with its partners based in Shenzhen, China, and plans to release these affordable Lumia devices this year which should cost just about $75 to $100.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, set up its 4Afrika Initiative to sell phones that would be affordable on the continent while investing in education and local technology companies. “The key focus is to provide a great customer experience, full access to cloud services with choice and affordability being taken into consideration,” – Fernando de Sousa, Microsoft’s general manager for Africa Initiatives… (Bloomberg)
Microsoft is also investing in startups to build local applications.
