Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has partnered with Orlando Pirates, one of SA’s leading football teams, to become the club’s official mobile partner.
This, as competition in the South African smartphone market continues to intensify, with several Chinese smartphone makers having descended on the local market to take on established players like Samsung, Huawei and Apple.
Oppo, which has a one-year presence in the South African market, recently told ITWeb that it now has a 10% market share in the local market.
Now the company is tapping into the country’s large football fan base in order to increase its market share.
According to Statista, in June 2021, Samsung was the market leader, with 45.28% of the market share of mobile device vendors in South Africa. Huawei ranked second, with almost 29%, followed by Apple with 16% of the market share.
Globally, Oppo says it has established relationships with international football giants FC Barcelona and AC Milan, as well as the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the ICC World Cup.
In a statement, the smartphone maker says the new partnership is an important opportunity for Oppo South Africa to work hand-in-hand with the Orlando Pirates, also known as the Buccaneers, to create joint exclusive initiatives, with the aim of connecting and exciting all sports, tech, innovation and South African football supporters.
Joseph Bertrand, Orlando Pirates brand and sponsorship manager, says: “Orlando Pirates is a club with vast history, yet very innovative and forward-thinking − some characteristics that we share with Oppo, a cutting-edge and globally-acclaimed brand.
“That is why we are excited to welcome Oppo to the Pirates family and we are convinced that we are going to be able to show value to all the Orlando Pirates stakeholders through joint resources and inventiveness.”
Says Sam Zhang, CEO of Oppo South Africa: “We are delighted to become the official mobile partner of Orlando Pirates Football Club, one of South Africa’s oldest clubs with a rich history and proud traditions.
“Oppo and Orlando Pirates share many values, including dedication to high-performance and innovation, which resonates with fans and our customers in South Africa. We are looking forward to this collaboration with Orlando Pirates and changing the way football supporters see things, changing the way the game is played, changing how we do things – together we want to bring fans closer to the game and support the next generation of footballers in South Africa.”
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