Vodacom CEO says smartphone prices must be lowered in South Africa

[JustAsk]

CEO's and their BS..

Joosub points out that only 25% of the Sub-Saharan population has access to mobile Internet

cuz plenty of them have fibre lines, wisp lines or just wifi access at family. They don't need your expensive mobile data. Hell, even i don't have access to mobile internet, but i pay for 2 fibre lines

and that more than half of the group’s entire customer base doesn’t have a smartphone.

More BS. Working class families, these days, have smartphones for mom, dad, and both them 2 children each. Unless he is including toddlers.

Joosub mentions ways to lower upfront payments of 4G handsets, such as device financing models, discounts, subsidies, and tailored payment solutions.

Poor folks have been financing their smartphones for years thru clothing and furniture stores. It your expensive data that's fcking them up the @ss.

 

[PaulGherkin]

If you ever needed proof that this Joosub fellow is out of touch with reality, then this would be it.
What this fool doesn't know is how the electronics industry works, and why manufacture in South Africa is niche, and why much of the world is having things made in Taiwan and China.
What he also doesn't realise is that WE CAN'T FRIKKEN HAVE NICE THINGS BECAUSE OF THE EFFING ANC AND THEIR RUINOUS BEHAVIOUR THAT HAS REDUCED THE VALUE OF THE ZAR TO TOILET PAPER

 

[G.A.S]

This isn't about subsidies for more expensive phones, this is for those too poor to qualify for a contract, article gives an example of a R250 phone.

Another bigger issue imho is how the cheaper bundles are quite expensive for what you get.

That is exactly why they want someone (else) to ensure cheap smartphones are available to the masses.

 

[Swa]

But higher duties are there to encourage and protect this kind of local initiative, aren't they? This seems more of a "I see a potential 9% increase in profit margins on phones, so let's throw out all the usual scare tactics and talking points"

Ha, South Africa has long not manufactured such things and we never manufactured most of the things on the list. We keep hearing 4IR yet most of the things in the 4IR are still taxed to death.

 

[MagNorthDigital]

Developing local assembly and production plants can enhance 4G device affordability while creating jobs and boosting local manufacturing industries,” says Joosub.

Really - with us having the most expensive labour in the world, never mind the region. Eish!!

Have you tried having a pcb assembled in Germany or Ukraine? South Africa is cheap in euros. Of course if you get it from Ukraine its likely to be assembled correctly.

 

[Swa]

Have you tried having a pcb assembled in Germany or Ukraine? South Africa is cheap in euros. Of course if you get it from Ukraine its likely to be assembled correctly.

You speaking manufacturing or custom designs?

 

[keru]

Yet you charge R229 for around 3 GB of data that expires. A years worth of data is more expensive than an entry level smartphone.

 

[JustAsk]

Yet you charge R229 for around 3 GB of data that expires. A years worth of data is more expensive than an entry level smartphone.

When you switch on that cheap Vodacom phone, the first sound you hear is...

Got you b1tch

 

[Swa]

If Vodacom lowered their prices by 50% the majority of people will probably be able to afford a phone 4x what they currently can.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

If Vodacom lowered their prices by 50% the majority of people will probably be able to afford a phone 4x what they currently can.

But then they would not be making obscene amounts of money selling overpriced, cheap as chips phones.

 

[Bliksis]

Just like a politician, saying all the things we already know but doing nothing about it.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

So subsidise them on 24 month contracts like you used to...

This will eat into his 70mill pay check.....can't have that

 

[Gudnews]

Obviously some one who operates in that "rest of Africa, region"

That's like 8 countries. I just find it annoying that many stats are presented this way, why not just combine the whole of Africa?

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Just like a politician, saying all the things we already know but doing nothing about it.

Us Saffers tend to be very good at that.

 

[konfab]

Too late now.

Big corporates simped up to the ANC and allowed them to do whatever they wanted.

ANC: “Hand over 30% of your business to people based on their skin colour”
Corporate SA: “ Yes boss, thank you boss”

ANC: “ hire people based on their skin colour”
Corporate SA: “ Yes boss, thank you boss”

ANC:” Here are the world’s strictest labour laws”
Corporate SA: “ Yes boss, thank you boss”

ANC: “ We want to take your property and control the healthcare of your employees”
Corporate SA: “ Yes boss, thank you boss”

ANC: “We stole all the money for rail, road, water and electricity infrastructure, now you must come and help us”
Corporate SA: “ Yes boss, will do boss”

Corporate SA:”why is the economy so weak? Why are smartphones so expensive?”

 

[Bad Ballie]

I'm happy for idiots to spend tens of thousands of Rands on technology they do not need and which will be obsolete within 4 years. I'll stick with my entry level cheap as hell cash purchase models and spend the extra money where it will actually do some good.

 

[Mista_Mobsta]

Traditional bread and circuses as distraction for the real problems: price gouging, ridiculous contract terms and excessive data costs! Less is more Shameel...

 

[Hemi300c]

Just saying what people want just like runjopusaf saying corruption must stop.....

 

[wingnut771]

I'm happy for idiots to spend tens of thousands of Rands on technology they do not need and which will be obsolete within 4 years. I'll stick with my entry level cheap as hell cash purchase models and spend the extra money where it will actually do some good.

I’m rocking an up to date iPhone 11 bought off bid or buy for R6k.

 

[MagNorthDigital]

You speaking manufacturing or custom designs?

Custom requirement manufactured at small scale. A bunch of bosch sensors stuck to a pcb basically.