The QVWI retail brand, together with a sophisticated ecosystem of digital lifestyle products, was officially launched during the QVWI World Retail Summit in Johannesburg last week.
The high profile event coincided with the 10-year anniversary of Skyworth Digital in South Africa and included a number of keynote speakers representing high profile partners in the roll out of the new brand, including CEO of Skyworth Digital International, Stephan He, country director of Google Africa, Alistair Mokoena, group CTO of Multichoice, Nyiko Shiburi and CEO of motion based entertainment company, NEX, David Lee.
It showcased an array of ground breaking products that spanned a range of standard and premium digital TVs including South Africa’s first to market Wallpaper TV that will form the hub of consumers’ lifestyles, together with three Google TV streaming devices, monitors for gaming and office use, broadband devices, QVWI power supply products and internet protocol cameras (IPC).
These will be complemented with QVWI Pay – a digital wallet solution delivering world class tailored solutions – and an ecosystem of gaming, shopping, insurance, parking, print and insurance applications.
Skyworth Digital has evolved from a small electronics company in KwaZulu-Natal into a division of a leading multinational group. It is now Africa’s largest electronics manufacturer.
The original design manufacturer of choice among most tier 1 broadcasters in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, the company started out producing set top boxes for Multichoice. To date, it has delivered over 40 million devices and become Google’s number 1 integrator partner across the world. It delivers product to more than 17 different countries across MEA.
Skyworth Digital International, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and head officed within Shenzhen High Tech Industrial Park (also known as China’s Silicon Valley) employs more than 34 000 people in its 12 factories across the globe. With revenue for 2023 expected to be around $8 billion, it is the world’s number one manufacturer of set top boxes, one of the world’s top three television manufacturers and the third largest virtual reality company in China.
Akash Panday, a shareholder and managing director of Skyworth Digital MEA as well as Group CEO of QVWI, said that the company was entering a new era with its brand launch and was perfectly positioned to take advantage of Africa’s digital migration which had been sparked by last year’s landing of the massive 2Africa subsea cable connecting Africa with Europe and Asia.
He said that, post the 2010 Soccer World Cup, he had found himself contemplating his future career and how to participate in the global digital transformation.
“It dawned on me that Digital Lifestyle Integration (DLI) is our why. This is characterised by the integration of digital technology into every aspect of daily life – from socialising and entertainment to work and personal development. This digital lifestyle is now an accepted norm and fulfils aspirations, creates wealth, improves cooperation and communication and advances our general livelihood,” he explained.
He said that a digital lifestyle connected people worldwide through the internet and related
digital technologies, allowing them to work from any location and create online businesses and smart homes. “Home, work, hobbies, beliefs and, most importantly, aspirations, are all connected into this DLI eco system of brands, products and services designed to enhance and facilitate the customer experience,” he continued.
Not all products will be rolled out immediately. Instead, QVWI has put in place a highly focussed retail strategy that will grow market share sustainably through providing quality products and services whilst also creating long-term supply relationships that benefit consumers, partners, stakeholders and shareholders.
Nazim Cassim, managing director of QVWI Retail, said the brand ethos was based on three key things – collaborative partnerships, product innovation and simplicity.
For Cassim, QVWI’s product line-up is testament to its partnerships. The entire range of products had been designed to work in harmony, providing a seamless and integrated user experience that was undeniably simple and compelling, he pointed out.
“Simplicity, in our view, does not mean lack of sophistication. Instead, it signifies ease of use, intuitive interfaces and seamless integration. We have leveraged market data to build our product assortment. Based on the size of the opportunity and emerging trends, we believe that we have positioned ourselves for growth,” Cassim said.
One of the key emerging trends – cashless transactions that bring together consumers and merchants in an efficient and frictionless exchange of value – will be addressed through the creation of QVWI PAY.
At its core, this is a payment app that settles transactions via two channels – virtual cards and e-wallets.
“In the QVWI World, we take the user from product or service selection right through to payment. QVWI PAY allows for the entire transaction to be effected within the ecosystem, truly integrating with the user’s digital lifestyle,” Cassim pointed out.
In South Africa, the relevance of this goes beyond the benefits of just the tech. QVWI PAY will facilitate the provision of banking to the unbanked and create commercial opportunities for communities lacking financial services.
Through strategic partnerships with Skyworth Global, Google, MasterCard, Multichoice’s DSTV Stream, Showmax and Gaming Console Playground Nex, QVWI has tapped into a diverse pool of expertise, innovation, and resources that would facilitate the roll out of a steady stream of progressive offerings, he concluded.
For more information, visit https://qvwi.com