By MTHULISI SIBANDA in Cape Town
CAPE TOWN – THE Samsung Africa Forum began in Cape Town on Wednesday with the Korean electronics firm reiterating its commitment to the continent.
The eighth edition of the summit creates a platform for the firm to demonstrate its smart technology products and designs for the year- a major highlight thus far being the launch of the world’s first windless air conditioner, QLED television range and new UHD BluRay player.
The products will be shipped in the second quarter of the year.
At the conference held under the theme, “One Pride,” Yoo Young Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer for Samsung Electronics Africa, said the forum presented a shift to a new paradigm.
“We are changing the way we work and ensuring Samsung is a respected and loved brand in Africa,” Kim told an audience of attendees drawn from around the continent.
Hlubi Shivanda, the company’s Director of Operations, echoed the executive’s sentiment.
“We are nurturing valuable partnerships with stakeholders in the continent. As a company, we do not have a history of dictating what a community needs.”
He noted the forum in the South African coastal city came on the back of upheavals in the global economy.
Nonetheless, Kim was upbeat about the prospects of the company in a tightly contested market in the continent.
“It is an exciting time for Samsung Electronics Africa as we continue to grow, adapt and focus on building collaborative relationships,” said Kim.

– Guardian