Apple’s iPhone 16 series officially went on sale globally on September 20, sparking a wave of upgrades both within and outside Africa. The launch prices from Apple range from $799 for the iPhone 16 to $1,199 for the 16 Pro Max. When converted to Nigeria’s currency, that’s approximately ₦1.3 million and ₦1.94 million, respectively.

Though it’s expected that exchange rate fluctuations, import taxes, duties, and shipping costs will inflate prices across different regions, nothing quite justifies the hefty price tags from local retailers in Nigeria who are selling the Phone 16 series for as much as ₦1.95 million to ₦3.65 million.

You don’t need to be a math whiz to notice the glaring price discrepancy, even with the country’s harsh economic realities. And even if these vendors might be operating in good faith, given their options, it’s the consumers who are ultimately shouldering the burden of this stark price difference that could be bridged if there were Apple Stores in Nigeria and much of Africa.

Why Are There No Apple Stores in Africa?

As surprising as it may seem, “Apple doesn’t have any official store in Africa, they only have Apple-authorised stores which provide sales and service services,” Nishat Fatima, an Apple consultant, told Bounce. 

Nishat provided a list of iStores — a private Apple device reselling company — but even these are predominantly located in South Africa.

To put it in context, Apple has over 500 official retail stores globally, with the largest presence in North America (300+ stores), followed by Europe (120+ stores), and Asia (50+ stores).

There’s no official information from Apple regarding why they haven’t opened physical stores in Africa. However, many signs point to Africa’s relatively low purchasing power. Social media might fool you into thinking that Apple’s products reign supreme here, but this only reflects a small percentage of the population. In a country like Nigeria, where only 2.4% of the population earns ₦200,000 or more monthly, this says a lot about the general demand for premium Apple products.

Our market size and demand can’t be excused. Apple stores don’t sell the UK/US used products that are popular in Africa, so Apple’s limited interest in the continent’s market might be justified, after all. 

Nevertheless, Africa’s vast potential — particularly with its growing base of tech-savvy and communication-focused young enthusiasts — positions the continent as an attractive frontier for investment from major global companies like Apple.

Is There Hope for an Apple Store in Africa?

CCS Insight predicted that Apple would open its “first verified Apple store in Africa by 2026.” Though there are little to no signs of this materialising, there were reports in 2021 that Apple had acquired 2,000 meters of land in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital to open its first official store in Africa.

The volatile economic conditions and political instability in parts of Africa might be enough to deter Apple from expanding its presence, but the continent’s budding tech industry could be the major factor that can compel the tech giant to expand its presence to the continent sooner than we expect.