AI Boom Sends PC Prices Soaring Across Africa | ITWeb Tech Headlines 26 – 31 October 2026
These are the stories making headlines on ITWeb this week. Soaring demand for memory to power AI infrastructure is pushing up computer prices across Africa, with IDC forecasting a 25% drop in African PC shipments in the third quarter of 2026, IDC senior research analyst Isaac Ngatia told ITWeb TV.
Rising memory and component costs put pressure on PC shipments, with price-sensitive African markets particularly vulnerable, says IDC’s Isaac Ngatia.
The increase, caused by the weakening rand, is the worst price rise in decades, says a reseller.
The continued weakness of the rand has not led to a surge in the cost of computing equipment, says AxizWorkgroup.
Acer and Samsung warn that PC supplies will be reduced and prices increased because of the disaster.
Hardware prices are set to increase by 15% from this week as the rand loses ground against the dollar.
Local PC prices have fallen by 25% to 40% over the past year - a boon for individual and corporate users - but manufacturers are asking themselves if this is too much, or if margins could be squeezed a little more.