491After two consecutive years of sluggish performance, the global smartphone market saw a strong recovery in 2024. According to IDC data, annual shipments reached 1.24 billion units, a year-on-year increase of 6.4%, marking the highest growth rate in three years.
In this industry rebound, Apple retained the top spot with an 18.7% share, followed closely by Samsung and Xiaomi. The fourth place, Transsion, emerged with an 8.6% market share, becoming the most talked-about Chinese company on the list.
This brand, which rarely advertises domestically and has not established offline stores, has managed to rise from the African market to the global top five. How did it achieve this turnaround? What insights does its development path offer to other companies looking to expand overseas?
Let’s look beyond the surface data and decode this “blossoming outside the wall” globalization case study.
Image source: IDC China WeChat Official Account
Transsion Holdings was founded in 2013, headquartered in Shenzhen, focusing on the R&D and sales of smart terminals in emerging markets. It owns several phone brands including itel, TECNO, and Infinix, with business covering more than 70 countries and regions across Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
Within Transsion’s business map,itel brand is a true “hidden champion”!This sub-brand, born in 2016, has become the key engine for Transsion’s global market expansion by deeply cultivating overseas markets and relying on extreme cost-effectiveness and localized innovation.
Image source: itel
itel’s Breakthrough Battle in Africa
Speaking of the success of the itel phone brand overseas, the African market is a must-mention.
Reportedly, around 2013, competition in China’s domestic phone market had reached a fever pitch, and Transsion chose a “reverse overseas expansion” path by targeting the African market.
At that time, Africa’s mobile phone penetration rate was less than 10%, and the market had long been monopolized by international brands with high pricing strategies, leaving consumer needs largely unmet. Transsion keenly spotted the potential of this blue ocean and launched the itel sub-brand in 2016, embarking on its journey to conquer Africa.
After in-depth research, the team found that African consumers have highly region-specific needs for mobile phones: a multi-operator environment created demand for four-SIM, four-standby phones; weak power infrastructure required ultra-long battery life; hot climates needed heat-resistant materials; and the prevalence of music culture called for loud external speakers.
Image source: itel
To address these pain points, the itel brand launched differentiated products such as multi-SIM standby, ultra-long battery life, and high-volume speakers. It even developed image optimization algorithms to meet the photo needs of people with darker skin tones, preventing overexposure in photos.
In terms of pricing strategy, itel smartphones are priced at only one-third of international brands, precisely matching the local consumer market environment.
Moreover, Transsion has established over 2,000 after-sales service outlets in Africa, covering urban and rural markets and solving the long-standing problem of “difficult repairs” for consumers. With the triple advantages of product, price, and service, the itel brand quickly captured 50% of Africa’s mobile phone market share, with its dual-SIM models consistently ranking first.
Image source: itel
Powerful Online + Offline “Combo” Strategy
Of course, itel’s “ambition” is not limited to the African market; the Middle East and Southeast Asia are also part of its aggressive expansion map. To make its mobile products known to potential consumers in more countries and regions, the itel brand has adopted a strong online and offline “combo” strategy.
Online: Aggressive Marketing on TikTok Social Media Platform
In emerging markets where mobile internet penetration is rapidly increasing, the itel brand has made TikTok a key battleground for brand youthfulness. Unlike traditional brands that open a single official account, itel has built an account matrix covering seven countries, including Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Each account publishes content tailored to local preferences, and all have impressive follower counts: four accounts have over 100,000 followers, and the other three each have over 10,000.
Image source: TikTok
The TikTok account @itelnigeria, set up for the Nigerian market, is undoubtedly the most outstanding, having accumulated 468,600 followers and 3.4 million likes.
Image source: TikTok
Its creative “high-altitude drop” series of short videos, where two people perform thrilling phone drop tests, always garner millions of views upon release, with the highest single video reaching over 12 million views. This content strategy is well attuned to the aesthetic preferences of emerging market users, using strong visual impact instead of functional preaching, and suspenseful storytelling to stimulate interaction, making it easier for potential consumers to remember and deepen their impression of the brand’s products.
Image source: TikTok
In addition to bold innovation in video content, the itel brand also leverages the popularity of celebrities and influencers to further boost brand awareness, collaborating with several local stars and TikTok influencers forlive-streaming sales.
For example, recently, the itel brand has been vigorously promoting its latest phone, power70. To help more users learn about and purchase it, itel organized a relay live-stream sales event featuring celebrities and influencers, and promoted it in advance on its accounts, informing fans that the biggest stars would take center stage, with @Speedy, @Amadou Elizabeth, @₱ɆⱠⱠɆⱤ, @Doyin David, and @Onyeka Chigbo all participating in the longest TikTok live broadcast of the year. This approach of releasing multiple teasers in advance also grabbed plenty of attention and maximized consumer anticipation.
Image source: TikTok
This live-streaming sales format has also brought the brand even closer to consumers.
During the live stream, influencer hosts demonstrate specific product usage and patiently answer various questions from viewers. Through interaction, users gain a comprehensive understanding of the product, quickly build trust, and further stimulate their desire to purchase.
Offline: Intensive Layout and Localized Production
Offline, itel stores are densely distributed in the core business districts of major African cities, with some streets even featuring multiple stores, creating a scale effect. The brand also penetrates township markets through distributor networks, ensuring that users in remote areas can conveniently make purchases.
To reduce costs and respond quickly to demand, the itel brand has also set up factories in Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, and other locations, achievinglocalized production and supply chain optimization.
Image source: Google
Independent Website: Building a Self-Owned Brand Ecosystem
To reduce reliance on third-party platforms, the itel brand has also built a fully functional independent website. The official site presents product specifications and usage scenarios with a clean design, allowing users to complete the entire process of selection, payment, and after-sales consultation directly.
Through SEO optimization and social media traffic redirection, the independent site not only serves as a showcase for brand image but also accumulates a private traffic pool. When platforms like Amazon and Jumia experience sales disruptions due to policy or logistics fluctuations, the independent site provides itel with a stable second growth curve.
Image source: itel
Conclusion
The case of itel shows that success in overseas markets does not depend on technological superiority or capital investment, but rather on deep insight into user needs and systematic planning.
Nowadays, the diversity of global consumer markets is providing Chinese brands with differentiated breakout opportunities. The key is whether they can set aside “Chinese experience” and integrate into the local ecosystem with humility.
For other domestic brands aspiring to go global, as long as they find the right path like the itel brand, they can find their own vast ocean of opportunities in overseas markets.
