Konga, Nigeria’s foremost and Africa’s fastest growing e-commerce giant, has been identified as the leading source for the most reliable and best-priced genuine PCs and laptops from top global brands in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest computing market.

The submission came from African Postgraduate Students’ Research Group (APSRG), a research collective which numbers budding scholars of African origin among its membership.

The study, which threw more light on the ongoing global scarcity of chips and components because of a backlog of unfulfilled orders owing to supply chain disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, also provided some useful insights into the current status of PC shipment by leading computing brands around the world. Interestingly, the research further embarked on a deep dive into the consumption of computing products in major markets such as Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as the Asian market.

In Africa and specifically in Nigeria, the APSRG study revealed how the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a change in the lifestyle of users in Nigeria. Notably, it indicated a growing awareness and a remarkable rise in the use and reliance on tech gadgets and other digital devices as the pandemic and its attendant lockdown forced a closure of businesses, thereby leaving millions in Africa’s biggest market embracing a new normal of virtual work and learning.

‘‘The COVID-19 lockdown which came into force in most countries around the world after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of the coronavirus disease a pandemic on March 11, 2020, ushered in a remarkable lifestyle change in Nigeria.

‘‘With most of the populace forced to stay at home, PC purchase and usage grew astronomically in Nigeria as many turned to virtual work and learning to beat the restrictions imposed by the pandemic,’’ the study revealed.

In addition, the research indicated that the spiraling exchange rate dealt a big blow to many Nigerian consumers. It noted that whereas PC shipment and purchasing power among Nigerians was appreciably high when the exchange rate hovered between the N300 and N400+ range, the same can no longer be said with the current scenario, with the dollar exchanging at nearly N600.

Significantly, the study equally highlighted the impact of the prohibitive cost of PCs and laptops on the purchasing power and shopping preferences of most Nigerians, with the majority falling between the low and medium range. Statistics made available by APSRG showed that of every 100 units of PC laptop shipped to Nigeria, 81.3% are sold in excellent conditions and without returns. Out of this number, a massive 57 % are low end devices, 3.9% are high end and the remaining 20.4% medium.

APSRG revealed that almost the same ratio replicated across all shopping platforms in Nigeria were impacted by the unfavourable exchange rate, with e-Commerce giant, Konga leading by a large distance as the platform with the most competitive pricing for genuine devices across all three consumer categories. Konga led other retailers in PC and laptop supply, reliability, and pricing. In addition, the research disclosed that for smartphones, Konga came second in pricing/availability and number seven for feature phones.

Further, the research singled out Konga for recording no case of used or refurbished computers, with APSRG attributing this to the brand’s status as the only e-Commerce firm in Africa with direct relationship with major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and quality after sales support anchored on a longstanding contract with TD Plus Ltd., a leading tech products aftersales support company which has equally been credited with working with other global OEMs such as Samsung, Nokia, HP, Lenovo and Dell, among others.

In the area of global shipments, APSRG identified Lenovo, a Chinese-headquartered multinational OEM which held an impressive margin as the global leader, outpacing HP on supply by 35.6% for the same period. Dell, ASUS, Apple and Acer followed suit in that order in the area of worldwide shipments, recording significant mentions. Further, it indicated that all global OEMs faced chips and component challenges but noted that Lenovo outdid the rest of the field in supply, availability and pricing.

The eye-opening research goes a long way in reinforcing a recent submission by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, who had asserted that tech is the country’s fastest growing sector in view of the number of tech startups being launched and the growing contribution to the nation’s GDP.