Egypt's first smartphone maker to export to Germany next month

Egypt’s first smartphone maker, SICO, said it will begin exporting its devices to Germany in November as part of its expansion plan to sell its products in Europe and Africa, its chairman told Reuters.

Silicon Industries Corporation (SICO), which already exports to the Gulf and aims to start selling phones in other European countries, said it signed an agreement in October with a company operating in Europe to market its products.

“We will begin exporting from Upper Egypt to Germany, Holland, Austria, and then Sweden, Norway and Finland,” its chairman and Chief Executive Mohamed Salem said.

SICO, which was set up in December 2017 and has 200 million Egyptian pounds ($12.43 million) in paid-up capital, sells phones under the brand name Nile X and has said it uses a Chinese design of 3G/4G US technology.

Its plant in Assiut, Upper Egypt, has a production capacity of 2 million devices annually.