Not many South African consumers are aware of HONOR’s close ties with its holding company, Huawei, unmistakably one of the largest and most influential mobile device providers both globally as well as in South Africa. This new kid-on-the-block, which entered our country in 2018, plans to target the mid-range consumer in South Africa, offering technology and innovations in a package that is not only aesthetically pleasing but encapsulates all the trendy features demanded by the youth.
“Because HONOR forms part of the greater Huawei Technologies group, we share Research & Development resources. However HONOR also has its own product development team that focuses on exclusive functionalities based on the needs of today’s technology-savvy consumers,” explains Raymond Liu, CEO HONOR South Africa.
From the outset, HONOR was envisioned as a young, energetic and internet-centric brand, aiming to create a better and accessible mobile internet experience for the young generation, while Huawei’s brand strategy is more targeted at business elites and focused on premium segments.
“Huawei and HONOR focus on different consumer segments and offer a different product portfolio with varied operating models; our dual brand strategy ensures our competitive advantage in different market segments,” continues Liu.
As one of the two sub-brands under the Huawei Consumer Business Group, HONOR’s strong performance and global presence effectively enhances HONOR’s competitive advantage in the consumer technology sector. Since its inception just six years ago, HONOR has recorded solid growth, leads the China online smartphone market, and has a presence in 75 countries/regions and 100 million global users.
”HONOR has achieved great success across the globe, thanks to the enormous popularity of key products, particularly in 2018 where the flagship HONOR 10 sold over three million devices in just a few months,” clarifies Liu. ”Our innovation philosophy ensures we are in the best position to provide competitive products. HONOR delivers superior value by leveraging the strong research capabilities of the Huawei Group’s 16 global R&D centres and 80,000 R&D staff. Ten percent of Huawei’s sales revenue is designated to R&D every year.”
Liu notes that he envisions the brand to be a strong contender in the South African mobile landscape in the coming years, emphasising that the innovative technology present in HONOR devices aimed at a young audience, coupled with its low retail cost, will ensure that the brand succeeds in difficult economic climates such as South Africa.
HONOR devices are available through Vodacom, Cell C, Foschini, Game, Edgars, and Cellucity nationwide, with packages starting from R169 pm x 24 months, making them an affordable and extremely competitive alternative.
