Shipments of tablets into the local market surged 107.1% year-on-year in the last quarter of 2013, beating out the 28.2% gain in global tablet shipments for the same time frame, according to IDC's latest research.
The South African market accounted for 513 000 units during 2013, out of a total of 217.1 million units. Globally, 50.6% more tablets were sold in 2013 than in 2012.
The research also shows the traditional PC market experienced an 18.8% decline, to reach 427 000 units, although the decline was "better than expected". For the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, PC shipments dropped 6.4% in the last quarter of the year, a continuing - although declining - trend, says IDC.
"The decline in PC shipments can be attributed to the weak rand, high unemployment rate, poverty, and cannibalisation from tablet devices," says Joseph Hlongwane, a research analyst at IDC South Africa.
Android is tops
"As is the case in all hi-tech markets, tablets have grown exponentially since their introduction in SA, and the trend is expected to continue along a similar path in the coming years. Their success in the computing space has been driven primarily by their mobility benefits, touchscreen technology, and competitive price points."
Android-based tablet shipments were up 170.9% over the same period to 436 000 units. In 2013 alone, 1.2 million Android-based tablets were shipped into SA, representing 77.1% of the local market.
Apple's iOS tablets have been losing market share, with shipments down 15.7% year-on-year in the last quarter to 65 000 units. Only 300 000 iOS units were shipped into the country in 2013, representing a market share of 19.3%.
Hlongwane explains most end-users use tablets to surf the Internet and access social media, so tablets that can fit in one hand are seeing a tremendous increase in demand. "This is clearly reflected in the growing popularity of tablets with a screen size between 7- and 8-inches, which resulted in shipments of such devices increasing 208.5% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2013 to total 369 000 units."
New form factors
Hlongwane says traditional PCs have become lighter, thinner, and smaller since the introduction of tablets. "There is a clear desire among traditional PC vendors to mimic the style and designs that have made tablet PCs so successful, although this evolution is not all one-sided. Indeed, we have also seen stark improvements in the battery power, screen resolution, and form factors offered by vendors in the tablet market."
The traditional desktop market shrunk 24.8% year-on-year in the last quarter to total 119 000 units, but shipments of all-in-one (AIO) devices increased 28.6% over the same period to reach 9 000 units.
"The growth seen in the AIO segment can be attributed to the sleek design of these devices, which resonates particularly well with end-users," says Hlongwane. "However, the high price tags attached to these machines remain a deterrent to the majority of the market."
Mini notebooks, ultra-slim notebooks and traditional notebooks all experienced year-on-year declines in the market during the last quarter. Mini notebooks witnessed the heaviest loss as they are nearing the end of production.
Shipments of convertible notebooks saw phenomenal growth of 365.5%, although from a low base, to reach 2 000 units. "IDC expects to see a continuation of steady growth in the convertible notebook segment over the coming years," says Hlongwane.
"Indeed, we foresee this emerging technology breathing some much-needed life into the overall notebook market."
HP regained top spot in SA's overall PC market in the last quarter, with shipments gaining 16.7% year-on-year after consecutive quarterly declines since the beginning of 2013. Lenovo ranked second after boosting its shipments 23.3% year on year. Third-placed Dell's shipments were up 15.9% year-on-year for the quarter.
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