Computers and smartphones ‘made in Senegal’: an assembly plant announced in Diamniadio
Dakar has signed an 88.3 billion CFA franc partnership agreement with a network of investors and an Indian company to assemble computers, smartphones and tablets locally. The first devices are due to be delivered in December; the source of the funding remains unclear.
Why it mattersEvery year, Senegal spends more than 400 billion CFA francs on IT equipment from abroad. Manufacturing some of this locally could bring prices down and create skilled jobs.
- On 6 October, Senegal signed a partnership agreement worth 88.3 billion CFA francs (approximately 150 million dollars) with CMIA and the Indian company Blue Cloud Softech Solutions.
- A manufacturing complex for computers, smartphones and tablets is due to open in Diamniadio in December 2026.
- According to the ministry, the country imports around 419 billion CFA francs’ worth of IT and electronic equipment each year.
- The programme aims to provide 100,000 computers, 1.2 million smartphones and 600,000 tablets, with 200 partner start-ups.
- The source of the funds and the terms of the agreement – described at times as a financing arrangement and at other times as a memorandum of understanding – have not been made public.
Senegal wants to move beyond simply being a buyer of digital devices. On Tuesday 6 October, in Dakar, the Minister for Telecommunications and Digital Technology, Samba Diouf, signed an agreement with the World Council for Investment and Business in Africa (CMIA) and the Indian company Blue Cloud Softech Solutions. The announced value of the deal is approximately 88.3 billion CFA francs, equivalent to nearly 150 million dollars.
The agreement gives substance to the ‘Senegal Digital Factory: from idea to product’ programme, the eighth component of the Technology New Deal. Its most tangible component is a digital equipment assembly complex in Diamniadio, the new town developed some thirty kilometres from Dakar. According to TechAfrica News, it is due to come into operation in December 2026, initially producing computers, smartphones and tablets.
« Our objective is clear: to gradually transform Senegal from an economy that mainly imports and consumes technology into one that designs, assembles, develops, secures, manufactures and exports technology. »
Samba Diouf, Minister for Telecommunications and Digital Affairs, according to *Le Soleil*
A market worth 419 billion CFA francs a year
The government’s argument boils down to one figure. According to the ministry, the country imports around 419 billion CFA francs’ worth of IT and electronic equipment every year. “The market exists, and demand is strong,” summarised Roger Thiam, Director of the Digital Economy and Partnerships, as quoted by APS. The project’s promoters estimate that by manufacturing just 10 per cent of these purchases locally, the country would generate more than 40 billion CFA francs in economic activity per year.
The stated ambitions are high. According to *Sud Quotidien*, the national IT and mobile equipment programme aims to provide 100,000 computers, 1.2 million smartphones, 600,000 tablets and one million accessories, although no specific timetable has been set. The partnership covers not only assembly but also quality control, the supply of accessories, device certification and intellectual property. Some 200 Senegalese start-ups are to be involved, and a component focusing on technology transfer and training for young people is planned.
Each partner has its own role. The CMIA, chaired by Idrissa Doucouré, says it aims to raise private capital through its network. Blue Cloud Softech Solutions, led by Chandrasekhar Mudraganam, is contributing its technical expertise, particularly in solutions based on artificial intelligence. According to its CEO, the Digital Factory “will bring about a very significant digital transformation of the Senegalese economy”.
Funding or intention?
One point remains to be clarified: the exact nature of the commitment. *Le Soleil* refers to funding ‘secured’ from technical and financial partners. *Sud Quotidien* and *TechAfrica News* speak of a memorandum of understanding, that is to say, a declaration of intent. Neither the source of the funds, nor each partner’s share, nor any potential state guarantee has been made public. Until these details are known, the figure of 88.3 billion should be viewed as an ambition rather than as money that is actually available.
As for the technical expertise, some of it already exists. In Keur Ndiaye Lo, the Senegalese company SunuCorp assembles laptops, all-in-one computers and interactive screens from imported parts, with a pilot production capacity of around 7,500 computers a year, according to We Are Tech. This scale is still a long way from the national targets. As for the components, these will continue to come from Asia: assembly does not mean manufacturing the chips or screens.
- New deal technologique : le Sénégal décroche un financement de 88 milliards de FCfa, Le Soleil.
- Un partenariat de près de 88 milliards FCFA pour développer la production locale de solutions technologiques, APS (via Osiris).
- Le Sénégal veut franchir le cap de la production numérique locale, Sud Quotidien (via SenePlus).
- Le Sénégal veut convertir 720 millions $ d’importations informatiques en production locale, We Are Tech.
- Senegal Signs Deal to Launch Digital Equipment Assembly Complex in Diamniadio, TechAfrica News.
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