SEATTLE, Washington — Although Apple and Samsung lead the global smartphone market, the Mara Group has established its first smartphone factory in Rwanda. The small central African country is quickly revolutionizing its economy and investing in high tech factories. The Pan-African conglomerate the Mara Group manufactures many of the cell phones in Rwanda and creates quality jobs that are greatly needed.
Economic Independence
Instead of simply consuming smartphones, Rwandans now produce their own and participate in an evolving tech-based economy. Before the Mara Group established a footing in Rwanda, the profit from other businesses’ cell phone sales left the country instead of contributing to the Rwandan economy. Now that the phones are produced in Rwanda, more of the profit is retained domestically.
The factory does not import many foreign workers, claiming that 90% of employees of Rwandan. Also, since the company produces nearly every part of their smartphone in Rwanda, they train workers in various roles. The Mara Group fosters economic independence because workers learn relevant technical skills that open opportunities for them down the road.
Job Creation
In addition to employing 90% Rwandan citizens, 60% of those employees are women. Currently, the Mara Group employs 200 people and it aims to employ 300 more by its fifth year of operation. For now, the sales are largely domestic, but the company is beginning its expansion throughout Africa. Although slightly more expensive than the popular Tecno phones, the African company promises the consumer pays for higher quality and supporting domestic economic growth.
The factory requires high-skill labor, teaching new employees the necessary skills to participate in an evolving economy. Skill development is nearly as important as job creation. An evolving economy constantly demands higher-skilled workers and lower-skilled workers risk falling behind. The Mara Group factory not only creates jobs but also partners with organizations such as Rwanda’s Digital Ambassadors Programme to teach digital literacy, stymying the potential resulting employment gap.
Cultural Pride
Rwanda is recovering from an internal genocide, and 39.1% of the population lives below the poverty line. Previously, Rwanda imported smartphones and other technology from more developed nations. Now that the Mara Group has established a factory in Rwanda, the people can derive an unquantifiable sense of pride in their homemade product. Additionally, Rwanda will likely continue to develop a strong national identity as they export Rwandan-made smartphones across Africa. The path to economic independence also leads to greater cultural pride.
Moving Forward
As the Mara Group continues to expand, more Rwandans will develop the marketable skills that a modern economy requires. The jobs that the company creates are valuable and more transferable than lower-skilled labor jobs. The company is not focused merely on profits but on expanding smartphone access across the country as smartphones become more of a necessity. They sell quality smartphones and offer consumers flexible two-year payment plans. Ultimately, the Mara Group will undoubtedly continue to foster economic independence and contribute to the growth of high-skill tech labor.
– Noah Kleinert
Photo: Flickr