Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      MTN CEO edges Vodacom rival in pay stakes – but just barely

      18 June 2025

      New MD for Dell South Africa

      18 June 2025

      How a dowdy database maker became an investor darling

      18 June 2025

      Who let the dogs order? Sixty60 now delivers for Fido

      18 June 2025

      Chief sub-editor wanted – help shape South African tech media

      18 June 2025
    • World

      Trump Mobile dials into politics, profit and patriarchy

      17 June 2025

      Samsung plots health data hub to link users and doctors in real time

      17 June 2025

      Beijing’s chip champions blacklisted by Taiwan

      16 June 2025

      China is behind in AI chips – but for how much longer?

      13 June 2025

      Yahoo tries to make its mail service relevant again

      13 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis

      18 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025
    • Opinion

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » News » Weak rand slams PC sales

    Weak rand slams PC sales

    By Agency Staff6 June 2016
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    computer-pc-640

    The declining rand has hit PC sales in South Africa hard, says an international research organisation.

    According to International Data Corp (IDC), PC shipments dropped to 342 399 in the first three months of 2016, significantly below the 427 331 in the same period of 2015.

    “The South African PC market declined considerably in quarter one of 2016. This expected decline was fuelled by the depreciating rand, high unemployment rate, high fuel, food and utility prices,” said Teboho Leshage, senior research analyst of imaging, printing, document solutions and handsets at IDC.

    The South African data, though, also matched a 25,9% year-on-year decline in the Middle East and Africa region. According to the IDC, shipments in this region topped 3,2m units for the period.

    Notebooks declined by 28,7% while desktops moved 21,4% lower.

    “The reasons differ from country to country, but slowdowns in tourist spending, lower consumer confidence resulting from low oil prices, political and economic instability, currency devaluations, and military conflicts have all played a part in the regional contraction,” said senior research manager Fouad Charakla, responsible for personal computing, systems and infrastructure solutions for IDC Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

    IDC data showed that Hewlett-Packard led the local PC market, followed by Lenovo and Dell.

    “With end users spending more time on using other devices such as mobile phones and tablets, the demand for PCs continues to shrink as PCs are seen as the third device of choice due to the high price component, especially at a time when end-users are experiencing financial constraints,” Leshage said.

    Tablet shipments experienced a milder decline, dropping to 371 680 from 391 065, year on year.

    Samsung took first place in South Africa, followed by Apple and Lenovo.

    “Both desktop and notebook PC product categories recorded a decline, with notebooks experiencing a sharper decline. In addition, end users are delaying their PC upgrades and projects and credit terms have also become more stringent as a result of the tough economic conditions and devaluation of the rand,” said Leshage.

    The IDC said that it expects PCs to show some recovery in the longer term despite a consumer market shifting to mobile devices.

    “In the longer term, the PC market is expected to recover to some extent in 2017, with modest growth anticipated in the following years,” said Charakla.

    Fin24



    Fouad Charakla Hewlett-Packard IDC Teboho Leshage
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleAbsa reassures clients over Twitter banking
    Next Article Vodacom zero-rates job searches

    Related Posts

    What Microsoft’s R5.4-billion AI investment means for South Africa

    9 March 2025

    IDC to back major South African subsea cable project

    25 February 2025

    South Africa could still be a power player in EV manufacturing

    29 November 2024
    Company News

    Disrupt first, ask questions later – the uncomfortable truth about incident response

    18 June 2025

    Sage brings together HR leaders to explore the future of payroll and people management

    18 June 2025

    Altron: a brand journey, a birthday celebration and a bet on Joburg’s future

    17 June 2025
    Opinion

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    AI and the future of ICT distribution

    16 June 2025

    Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

    13 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.