A representative image of mobile phones. AFP
The surge comes as the government intensifies efforts to localize mobile phone manufacturing and position the country as a regional hub for electronics production.
In an update published on its digital platforms, the centre highlighted the rapid expansion of local manufacturing capacity, supported by incentives and a national strategy aimed at attracting global brands to Egypt’s industrial sector.
The initiative aligns with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s “Egypt Makes Electronics” programme, launched to strengthen the domestic electronics industry and boost export-led growth.
The government’s efforts have drawn praise from international research firms
Fitch Solutions expects Egypt’s mobile phone market to witness robust growth through 2031, backed by the expansion of local assembly operations and state policies that support a gradual shift from assembly work to full-fledged manufacturing.
Euromonitor International noted that Egypt is now “on the verge of becoming a leading smartphone manufacturing centre in the Middle East,” citing the state’s growing emphasis on increasing local content rather than relying solely on imported components.
Business Insider Africa similarly credited supportive fiscal policies, such as tax exemptions and infrastructure improvements, with fueling the sector’s momentum.
The report also underlined the scale of government support offered to manufacturers.
In addition to expanding the export rebate scheme to cover mobile devices, the state has exempted key inputs from National Telecom Regulatory Authority fees, reduced customs duties on essential components to two percent instead of 10 percent, and waived development fees imposed by the Ministry of Finance on parts used in local manufacturing, provided companies meet a 40 percent local value-added threshold.
A new digital governance system for mobile devices, introduced in January 2025, further streamlines registration processes and curbs informal market activity through the “Telefoni” application.
Industry investments have accelerated accordingly. Egypt now hosts 15 global and regional brands manufacturing mobile phones locally, with a combined production capacity of 20 million units per year and total investments of $200 million.
Samsung Electronics remains the largest investor, with $700 million in total commitments and a production capacity of six million mobile phones, tablets, and televisions annually.
Xiaomi manufactures locally through El-Safi Industrial Group with investments of $30 million.
OPPO operates a $50 million facility with 17 production lines producing five million devices per year under its OPPO and Realme labels.
Vivo has invested $20 million in a plant that produces two million units annually and has begun exporting to North Africa.
Meanwhile, Nokia and Infinix manufacture locally in partnership with SICO, with an annual output of 2.5 million units.
These developments come under the umbrella of the “Egypt Makes Electronics” initiative, launched in 2016 to transform the electronics industry into a pillar of economic growth and a central engine for export expansion.
The strategy aims to strengthen Egypt’s role in regional supply chains, reduce dependence on imported devices, and build a sustainable domestic manufacturing ecosystem capable of competing globally.
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