i2 going strong in Africa

The event to celebrate the launch and success of the company as an official Nokia distributor in Tunisia was held at the Sultan Hotel in Hamamet, with Lebanese star Marwan Khoury performing for hundreds of guests to enjoy.

i2 had disclosed earlier plans to expand heavily in Africa when it revealed its expansion into the Ivory Coast, Morroco, Sudan and most recently Tunisia. In Tunisia, the mobile penetration rate is at approximately 60 per cent, while the sale potential of mobile handsets in North Africa is estimated at 9 million for 2006.

"Tunisia is a stable country with encouraging investment opportunities, skilled human resources and a wide range of facilities, particularly in the IT and telecommunication fields making it an ideal market for i2" stated Bashar Alkadhi, VP Africa for i2 Group.

With the launch of its retail concept, i2 brings the full range of Nokia Models and high-quality after sales services to the country. Additionally, i2 will extend its numerous customer touch points to its new markets such as i2 magazine, i2 club and other value added services.

" We have our hearts set on Africa and plan to expand into more markets within 2007" stated Abdul Hamid Al Sunaid, President and CEO of i2 Group. "Our team in Africa has worked hard to ensure that our expansion plan throughout Africa is on schedule. Time is of the essence for us at the moment because Africa is a great untapped market" continued Sunaid.

i2 is currently operational in Chad, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Morocco, Reunion, Sudan and Tunisia. With a population of about 900 million and fast growing
mobile penetration rates, Africa plays a key role in i2 expansion plan. "It is estimated that 265 million people will become mobile subscribers by the end of 2011, and we plan to be there to serve them" concluded Alkadhi.