Rlg Expands To Kenya And Hopes To Capture East Africa
After what many market players have described as impressive performance in the West African region, ICT Device assembler, Rlg Communications Limited has entered Kenya, hoping to spread into the booming East African market.
Senior officials of the company say Rlg is using Kenya as a springboard to enter Tanzania and Ugandan markets.
The newly appointed Country Manager, Rlg Kenya, Mr. Sesi Dzakpasu said they were using the firm's Nairobi base under an aggressive plan intended to capture the entire continent within the next five years.
Already, a number of telecom firms and distributors have expressed desire of working with Rlg, a company perceived by many Kenyans as a true pan-African brand, according to him.
Rlg's flagship products, the Uhuru (a tablet and laptop combined), had its name from East Africa, a Ki-swahili word meaning freedom. The product is said to have taken over the tablet market in a number of African countries. Incidentally, the name of the current Kenyan President is Uhuru Kenyatta.
The company is also hoping to replicate its largely successful Youth-In-ICT training and Corporate Social Responsibility strategies in support of a country that has allocated heavy budgets toward job creation and ICT training.
It has already begun Technology partnership discussions with the Jomo Kenyatta University Consortium for the supply of laptops for schools, a deal likely to accelerate the process of establishing an ICT Assembly Plant in the capital.
Another social intervention likely to have huge impact on Kenyan government's job creation for the youth agenda is the enterprise project which has provided solar powered kiosks and tools to dozens of youth in the Gambia, after successful execution in Ghana, the Gambia and Nigeria.
Rlg is represented in the Kenya and the East Africa by Sesi Dzakpasu who is very familiar with the region as a result of his extensive carrier with Bharti Airtel as a Trade Marketing Manager for the Africa Group and as Trade Branding and Activations Manager for Zain.
He has a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Cape Coast is currently pursuing an MSc in Marketing from the University of Leicester.
'I am very motivated by the reception the Rlg brand has received since we entered the Kenya market; from both end users and trade partners. Partners are happy with the quality of product as well as the margins earned'.
Mr. Dzakpasu continued: 'User experience so far has been very positive and we intend to leverage this strength while focusing at producing 'cut to fit' devices for the East African Market. The hype from Big Brother Africa is strategic in positioning the brand across East Afric as well'.
Interestingly, the Social media platforms, especially facebook and twitter is allowing many to follow the Uhuru brand and are discussing whether it's the President's initiative or not. There is great hype around Rlg and its right time for Rlg', the Rlg Country Manager for Kenya,Mr Dzakpasu said.
Photo Caption:
Mr. Sesi Dzakpasu, Country Manager, Rlg Kenya