Update: this post has been updated – Transsion’s (makers of Tecno) closed at $6.48 billion valuation on its IPO debut, well ahead of $4 billion it was priced.
The Chinese smartphone company that’s taken Africa by storm had a gangbusters stock market debut. Transsion, which dominates Africa’s phone market with its Tecno brand, soared as much as 96% on its first day of trading on China’s Nasdaq-style stock market, briefly pushing its valuation to $7.7 billion.The stock later gave up some of those gains but still closed up 64%, valuing Transsion at 46.24 billion yuan ($6.48 billion).
Africa was Samsung nation before Tecno came. Today, Transsion (parent of Tecno, Infinix, itel) commands close to 47% of the market share. And based on that market leadership, Transsion is now worth about $4 billion. This is how CNN put it: “Chinese smartphone maker Transsion, which is dominating Africa with its Tecno brand, has raised nearly $400 million in an IPO on China’s hot new tech-focused stock market… pushes Transsion’s valuation to $3.95 billion”.
The Shenzhen-based company said in a stock market filing Wednesday that it sold 80 million shares for 35.15 yuan ($4.93) each, raising 2.81 billion yuan ($395 million).
The share sale pushes Transsion’s valuation to $3.95 billion and establishes the company as one of the biggest attractions on the Star Market, China’s answer to the Nasdaq.
The company said that its shares would begin trading “as soon as possible.”
Transsion — which also makes Itel and Infinix phones — doesn’t do business in China, despite being based there. But it controls a huge part of the smartphone market in Africa.
The interests on Tecno, and in extension Africa, are huge: “Its offering triggered a rush among investors. Only one in 20 online bidders were allocated shares, while only three in 1,000 offline bidders were successful.” Yes, as these investors were betting on Tecno, they were in reality believing in Africa since Tecno has no core strategic interest in pursuing the Chinese market at scale. My point is this: abundance is in Africa, but it has to be unlocked. Tecno did it for smartphones and it is having its moments. As the risks abound, so are the opportunities in Africa.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
Just after hitting submit button on this piece which ran earlier this morning, I received this press release from Control Risk. Did you see Nigeria? Huge Risk but also massive Reward. That is the state of Africa in general – and if you want to eliminate all the risks, you will never buy a ticket from that Switzerland, Sweden or New York to venture into Nairobi, Lagos or Accra.
Tecno came with a new basis of competition – a parallel to anything Samsung was doing, picking to win from the flanks, as encapsulated by Sun Tzu in the Art of War. Before Teco, buying smartphone was in glass shops, but they made the process accessible physically and in monetarily terms, by working with shops in open markets to pursue the mission. That strategy has berthed a $4 billion company.
People, the opportunities in Africa remain unbounded but that does not mean that unlocking them is easy. But those that do will find glory. Tecno is having its moments.
---
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Feb 10 - May 3, 2025), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here.
Part of the damage our old headmasters did to us was to bequeath us with civil service style of education, the type that works so well when it comes to following existing rules, rather than having the capabilities to create new rules and basis of competition; unfortunately we haven’t been able to dismantle the old thinking that is employment focussed to the one that is entrepreneurial focussed.
When you look at Nigeria, you can easily get overwhelmed, simply because the minds weren’t trained to tackle big problems, so we keep shifting the blame to our ancestors or political class; these are traits of people who are never prepared for big things, so do not be surprised!
If a brilliant young engineer leaves school with the potential and capacity to set up a small industry, and at the same time has opportunity to pick up employment in Shell, Mobil or any of the multinationals; how many people can fight off such temptation? You know how it is.
It is the same thing that is fuelling emigration to developed countries, people are not going there to set up companies, but to be part of ‘systems that are working’, a clear sign of civil service mentality.
The people who make big bets on Africa are largely non Africans, think about it!
Yes indeed – we ALL have to wake up. People come here and find diamonds everywhere while we all just complain. Imagine close to $7 billion. That is a feat!
We are waking up!!!!
Jaw dropping information, congrats to Transsion.
Sir, our stubborn system is tyre-jerking us aground in this poverty nightmarish culture of consume everything at sight.
Imagine that a single product used in oil and gas exploration, Barite; imported and used by the IOCs and marginal fields operators into this country to the tune of 1Million/MT per annum @ conservative $300 even though in the mud contract is even more than $700 which gives a humongous sum of $3billion per annum that are capitally freightened out of Nigeria when some of us local Barite miners are dying of starvation. Meanwhile, we have the reserve to supply all the Barite needed by the industries including Paint, Textile, Heavy construction, Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical ETC.
What is wrong with us is something intelligent people like Prof Ekekwe would have to explain, for us mere mortals, the centre has been tilted.
Am ready to contribute my small quota immediately (wealth and employment creation) in turning around our captivity, if small support can be creative provided, without mending naysayers like Control Risk.
We build products like Zenvus.com, ect. We do get decent support here. Focus on area of interest, Nigeria has space for everyone. But you need to understand that it is not everything that can be done in Nigeria.