Young Africans embrace Chinese gadgets, shatter stereotypes

Wilston Shivachi is an enthusiastic user of smartphones. Like many people, the logistics consultant could not get through the day without his handset. He relies on the device to shoot selfies, stream videos on YouTube and check emails when he is out of the office.

The only thing that may surprise you is that he is in Kenya, an eastern African country. Contrary to the previous stereotype of a poverty-stricken continent fraught with political turmoil, the African market is, in fact, offering opportunities for smartphone vendors, as consumers are increasingly desirous of affordable mobile devices.

Africa's population, the fastest-growing and youngest in the world, is concentrated in urban areas. These new African consumers resemble their urban counterparts anywhere in the world: they are both brand and quality conscious, they seek out the latest trends but are budget conscious, according to a report by McKinsey & Co.