When local smartphone manufacturer Bam Telecoms introduces its product line in September, it hopes to uphold South Africa’s fiercely competitive mobile device industry.
The business asserts that it was the first original equipment manufacturer in South Africa to be owned and operated entirely by black people. Manelisi Bam, who had previously worked for MTN as the manager of branded retail channel and enterprise SME, established the company in the year 2020.
Manelisi Bam was the company’s first employee. The development of communication solutions that are applicable to both the private and public sectors has been the core concentration of the company.
At the official introduction of the company’s product line, which took place last night in Sandton and was attended by high-ranking government officials, Bam revealed his vision of bringing “affordable 4G-enabled, quality phones, tablets, and smart technologies to the South African market.” This event was attended by high-ranking government officials.
Read also: NCA Introduces Tech neutrality to boost Telecom sector
How Bam Telecoms was established in SA
Bam Telecoms has two plants in South Africa; one of them can be found in the East London Industrial Development Zone in the Eastern Cape, while the other can be found in the KwaZulu-Natal region of the country. Its research and development unit is centred on the creation of “cutting-edge devices by South Africans for Africans” and is based in Rosebank, which is also the location of the company’s corporate office. Its mission statement reads, “South Africans creating cutting-edge devices for Africans.”
Although the factories have been built, there has been no start of production as of yet, and the company is now assembling the items in China. Despite the fact that the factories have been built.
Bam shared with the audience that in order to make this vision a reality, the company has developed strategic alliances with key actors both domestically and internationally. Some of these players include the Chinese multinational ZTE, the provider of artificial intelligence and internet of things solutions Dahua Technology, the provider of IT infrastructure Digit, the Bam Forensic Institute, Providence Software Solutions, the e-skills department at the Vaal University of Technology, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Other players in this space include the Bam Forensic Institute, the Providence Software Solutions, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
“Bam Telecoms is the first black-owned South African localised telecommunications company manufacturing and assembling devices. Our factories allow us to assemble and handle our products for effective distribution within South Africa.
“ZTE is one of our critical partners because of their chipsets and the technology that sits behind the devices. The difference is not just a phone that is locally-developed, but we have certain applications which specifically cater to people speaking South African languages.
“With 2G and 3G being phased out in SA, we are bringing to the market a first locally-developed 4G-enabled feature phone with internet access, at a low-end price point of less than R800.”
Bam Telecoms has, ever since the firm was established, been making significant contributions to the continued development of the telecommunications industry in South Africa. In addition to that, he emphasised the fact that the telecoms company is an authorised reseller and network partner for MTN, Vodacom, and Cell C on the RT15 ticket. The RT15 is a transversal contract for mobile communication services that is used by all organs of state in order to contract for a variety of services. This contract is used for mobile communication services.
Through the network agreements that it has formed, the provider of telecommunications services also resells SIM card starter packs, as well as airtime and data package deals.
The introduction of new smartphone manufacturers into the South African market, such as Vivo, Tecno, Oppo, and the Mara Group, corresponds with the launch of a new telecommunications provider in the country. These companies include Vivo, Tecno, Oppo, and the Mara Group.
MTN, Netflix, Leadway top Q2 ’23 media investigation across Telecoms, streaming, insurance sectors
More comments on Bam Telecoms
In 2019, Mara opened the doors to the first smartphone factory in South Africa. Unfortunately, the company has since closed its doors, and its assets were sold in an auction. In 2019, Mara opened the doors to the first smartphone factory in South Africa.
HTC, a Taiwanese corporation that specialises in the production of consumer electronics and mobile devices like smartphones, recently announced their plans to make a comeback to the market in South Africa in the year 2020.
At the ceremony, one of the other speakers was Panyaza Lesufi, who is the premier of the province of Gauteng. During his speech, he mentioned that the multi-stakeholder collaborative relationships that Bam Telecoms has established will be a significant factor in improving the economy of South Africa.
“We welcome Bam Telecoms to the world of digital. We have taken a decision as a province that the future economy of this province should be digital solutions created for our communities.
“We are not only excited about you [Bam Telecoms] entering the market, but we are ready to run with you, move with you and do everything that you expect from your government.
“We thank all the partners that are ready to support you and help you to fly. The reality is that if you can’t create jobs, there is no future for that society,” said Lesufi.
The South African government’s Minister for Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Development Agency, Waseem Carrim, were among the speakers who lauded the Bam Telecoms team for paving the way for opportunities and the creation of employment for the nation’s young people. These two individuals were among the people who praised the Bam Telecoms team.
Distribution channels in the township are referred to as Xhea for short.
During an interview with ITWeb that took place on the sidelines of the event, Bam stated that the company plans to first debut with five distinct sorts of devices.
The Bam 4G Energy smart feature phone and the Bam Infinity Max are going to be the two items that will represent the brand the best. The Bam Infinity Max is a smartphone that is positioned in the middle of the market and will offer a blend of luxury features at a price that is affordable. Among these features will be a dual camera, facial recognition technology, and fast-charging batteries for the camera sensor.
“Bam Telecoms represents a home-grown brand with a focus on growing our mobile device range. We are bringing affordable smart feature phones to SA – this will ensure our customers have access to reliable, affordable telecommunications solutions. By choosing us, they support local entrepreneurship, job creation and contribute to the growth of a South African brand,” he said.
The 4G Energy includes a touch screen, two cameras, a battery with a capacity of 3,000 mAh, and the capability to connect to WiFi networks. The Infinity Max has a dual camera (one that has a rear 13MP triple AI camera and a front 8MP camera), finger and face recognition, a 5000mAH battery, and 32GB of storage space on the device itself.
The Bam Digit Next, the Bam 4GE2 Pro, and the BamT3 Tablet Bam V41 are some of the other phones that are offered from Bam. The Bam Digit Next is powered by Digit, and the Bam 4GE2 Pro and the BamT3 Tablet Bam V41 are powered by ZTE.
According to Bam, the company is currently in the process of constructing 1,700 digital hubs that are administered by young people across the townships of South Africa. These digital hubs will act not just as retail locations but also as service centres for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
“One of Bam Telecoms’ founding principles is community development, and as a result, we have embarked on a drive to create our own distribution channels by setting up digital connectivity hubs across the country, specifically in townships and rural areas, because of the lack of access to technology.”
