iFix, a leading Egyptian company that specialises in electronic device maintenance, is looking to expand its operations to three African countries: Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana soon. The company aims to diversify its income sources in foreign currency and address the gap in authorized repair and maintenance services for a large segment of consumers on the African continent. Amna Najm, the CEO of iFix, stated that the company started its operations in 2015. She said that the company was the first to introduce the concept of home visits to customers to provide technical support services for all mobile phone devices within 30 minutes. Najm told Daily News Egypt that the company wanted to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of user data, as the mobile phone has become an integral part of the customer's daily life and cannot be dispensed with under any circumstance. She pointed out that the company targets a specific segment of consumers who prefer to pay higher fees for premium services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a decline in the demand for home visits, and an unauthorized page appeared on social media platforms using the company's official name illegally. She also disclosed that iFix currently offers services in 16 branches under "B.Tech" and aims to add another 150 branches in the next phase, as well as its presence in XPRS outlets owned by Trade Line, the main distributor of Apple products in Egypt. iFix recently signed a partnership agreement with the emerging recycling company, Bekia, to safely dispose of electronic waste resulting from mobile phone and electronic device repair and maintenance operations. Najm also highlighted the company's success last week in forming partnerships to provide after-sales services for KG Group, a distributor of more than eight smartphone models and traditional devices under the French-Algerian brand ICE ACE, currently produced at the SEICO factory in the Asyut Technology Zone. She revealed that iFix has also contracted to maintain Indian Micromax phones and PLAY smartwatches in Egypt. Under the partnership agreement with KG, the company will become the maintenance centre for all current and future brands under the group from Alexandria to Asyut, focusing on the medium-price segment. She explained that her company operates through a franchise model in governorates across the country and has implemented the experience in Asyut, Minya, Ismailia, Gharbia, Dakahlia, and Menoufia, with plans to expand to another six: Sharqia, Damietta, Luxor, Aswan, Qena, and Fayoum. iFix allows customers to pay for maintenance costs using credit cards or instalments through various consumer finance companies such as Valyou, Aman, Fatora, and Khazna and also offers a variety of discounts throughout the year. Najm revealed that the increase in prices of phones and accessories in the past period has prompted a significant portion of users in the upper class (A-Class), representing 10% of the total mobile phone owners in Egypt, to opt for repairing their old devices, especially Apple phones. She stated that iFix is the technical arm of "Amenly," which provides insurance documents for mobile phone devices. Najm estimated the total number of mobile devices undergoing maintenance annually at about 100,000 units, noting that Egyptian consumers consistently accept partial maintenance of two essential components: screens and batteries.
