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Wire · operational-macro

Apple's gamble — the iPhone now folds — and SA's digital divide just widened

Published

10 September 2026

Topic

operational-macro

Sectors

Consumer

Geography

South Africa

Source

Read at dailymaverick.co.za

Verified

Fusion42 · 10 September 2026 · Fusion42 review

South Africa's removal of import duties on smartphones priced under R2,500 has significantly boosted adoption of affordable smartphones, narrowing the digital divide. However, global supply chain inflation in memory and RAM threatens to push prices back above the duty-free threshold, risking renewed digital exclusion.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Consumer.

◆ The Wire takeaway

Your South African tech business faces a shifting market where affordable smartphone access is expanding but supply inflation could cut off growth. Act fast to adjust your product specs or partner pricing before price hikes block new users from entry-level devices.

Coverage

1 source · 10 Sep 2026

Related on Wire

Topics

Consumersmartphonesdigital-inclusionsouth-africatax-reformsupply-chainmobile-access