Rwandan President Paul Kagame officially launched a smartphone manufacturing plant in Kigali, the nation’s capital on Monday.
The Mara Group, a pan-African multi-sector business services company inaugurated Mara Phones manufacturing plant in Rwandan capital Kigali on Monday.
According to CNN, the first phones made in Rwanda rolled off the assembly line last week at the factory located at Kigali special economic zone. The factory employs about 200 people in Rwanda, 60% of whom are women.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said the introduction of Mara Phones would put smartphone ownership within reach of more Rwandans.
“The entire manufacturing process, from the motherboard all the way to the packaging of the phone is done in our newly-opened factory,” Eddy Sebera, Mara’s country manager for Rwanda, told CNN.
Mara is producing two types of smartphone in Rwanda: The Mara X with 16GB storage space which will retail for 120,250 francs ($130), while the more advanced Mara Z model with 32GB storage is on sale for around 175,750 francs ($190), the company said.
