PC shipments in the Middle East and Africa will grow by 3.2 per cent in the second quarter (Q2) of 2014, the first sign of positive growth in the PC industry in seven quarters, according to forecasts by the International Data Corporation (IDC).
However, global Q1 results were not so positive, with shipments down 8.3 per cent year-on-year, totalling 4.8 million units.
“Demand in the regional PC market continues to suffer as end users maintain their shift toward tablets and smartphones,” said Fouad Rafiq Charakla, research manager for personal computing, systems, and infrastructure solutions at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.
However he said aggressive pricing strategies, an increasing focus from PC vendors and signs of recovery from political instability has softened the pace of decline in the PC market in the region.
The IDC said ultraslim and convertible notebooks are gaining momentum in the PC space, however this is at the expense of traditional desktop and notebooks.
“After being active in the computing industry for almost seven years, mini-notebooks have reached their end-of-life in the region, with no units shipped during Q1 2014,” the IDC said.
“The ongoing recovery from political tensions and other major issues in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa contributed significantly to the revival of PC demand in those countries, causing PC shipments to either grow or decline at a much slower rate,” said Charakla.
“At the same time, the discontinuation of support from Microsoft for its Windows XP operating system (OS) forced some organisations in the region to upgrade the OS in their PCs, while others opted to replace their PCs altogether, which positively impacted commercial demand.”
The IDC said PC shipments to the region would increase 1.9 per cent year-on-year, with desktop computer sales declining by 3.7 per cent while portable PCs grew by 5.5 per cent.
“A number of large-scale education deals, particularly in Pakistan and Kenya, will also contribute positively to the growth of portable PC shipments in the region. However, beyond 2014, the regional PC market is expected to return to a state of consistent marginal decline,” the IDC said.
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