Africa-Press – South-Africa. South Africa has never been more connected to the global tech world.
Gone are the days when you’d have to “import” a smartphone that’s yet to reach South African shores by stuffing it in the lining of your suitcase – and then figure out a way to unlock it for local networks.
For the most part, that is.
Although, these days, most local tech releases follow soon after those elsewhere – often within hours, days, or weeks – there are still devices that you can’t officially find in local stores.
In the world of smartphones, this is primarily a problem that belongs in the fragmented domain of Android devices.
Whereas the closed ecosystem of Apple means you can snap up most iterations of their new devices within a few days, several highly coveted Android smartphones are yet to have official releases in South Africa – and are unlikely to do so anytime soon.
This doesn’t mean you have to forgo them entirely – it’s now easier than ever to import devices directly to South Africa without coaxing a jet-setting relative to stash one in their carry-on luggage.
But this comes with some risks, particularly in the world of Android devices. While Apple will honour warranties worldwide, regardless of where you bought the phone, the same is not universally true for other phones.
Some foreign devices are network locked and won’t work on older networks using CDMA and GSM.
And you’ll likely pay a premium for importing the phone – both in the shipping department and in taxes and duties.
Many of these added costs lurk as last-minute surprises, and shipping can take weeks.
So, importing the latest high-end device yourself, in most cases, may be more hassle than it’s worth.
A slightly safer bet is to go with a recognised local store offering grey imports and a local guarantee – but these often come at a significant premium.
Still, if you want to be ahead of the curve and sport a phone few others in South Africa will, here are three you may want to look at.
The Pixel 7 Pro is Google’s flagship device and its most powerful Pixel phone yet.
The company boasts about the phone’s “pro-level camera system” and Google Tensor G2 processor. It’s a giant aluminium thing of beauty, measuring 16.29cm by 7.66cm and it’s nearly 1cm thick – with a 6.7-inch display. It also has a claimed battery life of up to 72 hours.
The Pixel 7 Pro is a beast that has garnered several impressive reviews. But its global praise doesn’t mean it’s universally available. Currently, Google lists just 30 countries where you can officially buy the phone.
The US release price of the Pixel 7 Pro was $899, or around R17 000.
Some local companies sell grey imports of the 128GB Snow version for anything between R21 000 and R28 000.
Some third-party Amazon sellers will export the device to South Africa for a claimed R18 100 – including shipping and estimated taxes and duties, but without any local warranty.
Asus is better known in South Africa for selling laptops and desktop displays, but they’ve made recent moves into the mobile device market with niche products. Although the devices aren’t getting universal praise, they serve some use cases well – like the Zenphone 9 with its pocketability.
Asus promotes the Zenphone 9 as a compact phone with big possibilities, and it features the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform and a 4 300mAh battery. They’ve also upgraded the camera to feature a six-axis hybrid gimbal stabiliser.
The Zenphone 9 launched at $699, or R13 500. Some local retailers are selling grey imports for between R19 000 and R25 000.
Third-party Amazon resellers will ship one to South Africa for you – at an estimated total price of around R17 000.
If you’d prefer to pick your smartphone on the basis of its ethics, sustainability, and fairness, then the Fairphone 4 will appeal to you. It’s not new but is still coveted by some mobile phone enthusiasts.
Fairphone’s flagship device, made in the Netherlands, is its “most sustainable yet”, and when sold in official markets, it has a five-year warranty and is electronic waste neutral.
The phone features dual cameras, runs on Android, and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G. There’s not a huge amount to get excited about in terms of performance, but it’s attracted the most attention and praise for its willingness to let users do things like swap out batteries and repair it themselves without needing the world’s rarest screwdrivers and voiding a warranty.
It’s a compelling product that sells abroad for €579, or around R12 000. But it officially ships to only a handful of countries, with no indication of South Africa ever being added to the list.
Its niche appeal, and limited global availability, means getting one here – either online or through local importers – is almost impossible and a task best saved for a future trip abroad.
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