E-Business
Holiday Promotions Jerk up EMEA Q4 PC Shipment to 2.0% – IDC

PC shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) reached 25.5 million units in the fourth quarter of 2014, a 2.0% increase year on year, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
Strong consumer demand during the holiday season helped keep the market at positive levels for the third consecutive quarter, albeit modest and patchy across the region, leading to 5.5% growth for 2014 with 93.3 million PCs shipped in EMEA.
Once again, there were strong regional differences in EMEA.
Western Europe continued to drive growth with shipments increasing 10.7%. In line with expectations, Central and Eastern Europe contracted 18.7%.
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 2.6%.
The market was primarily driven by healthy consumer shipments in Western Europe. Vendors continued to stock up ahead of Christmas and January promotion sales, and before the February change to Bing promotions in mature markets excluding 15in. notebooks.
This resulted in portable PC shipments increasing 5.3% year on year in EMEA. As expected, desktop PC shipments contracted 3.5% during the quarter. Currency fluctuations have also had a strong impact in northern Europe, Russia, and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMA), while an unstable political situation and macroeconomic weaknesses continued to inhibit investments in parts of the region.
The dynamics across EMEA reflect a strong need for renewals in the mature markets, while highlighting that emerging economies continue to struggle.
“The growth in Europe is a positive sign for manufacturers. Past quarters saw consolidation in the market with HP and Lenovo emerging stronger than before,” said Chrystelle Labesque, research manager, IDC EMEA Personal Computing.
In Western Europe, shipments for the holiday season and post-Christmas promotions underpinned the growth particularly in the consumer space. Central Europe did not see any major uplift, whereas France and the U.K. showed solid double-digit percentage growth. Southern Europe (Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Italy) has been on a recovery path after years of decline.
Promotions have been key to driving demand and boosting consumer portable PC shipments by 18.2% and consumer desktops by 13.2%.
The positive impact of the end of Windows XP support on desktops ended, which explained the 3.9% decline in commercial shipments.
In addition, pockets of inventory across the region led to a further drop in sell-in of business desktops.
As expected, commercial demand remained strong for portable PCs, which posted a 12.6% increase. Overall desktop shipment growth in Western Europe reached 1.6% and portable PCs 15.9%.
“PC manufacturers prepared very attractive consumer offers this Christmas, with low price points supported by Windows 8.1 with Bing edition, which enticed end users to renew their devices,” said Maciek Gornicki, senior research analyst, IDC EMEA Personal Computing. “With the conditions of the promotion about to change, inventories have been built up this quarter, contributing further to higher levels of stock in the supply chain, which might translate into deceleration in consumer shipments in the first half of 2015. In the commercial segment, the wave of desktop renewals following the end of Windows XP support ended abruptly, while refreshes of portable PCs related to the introduction of Windows 7 four years ago continued and kept the commercial portable market healthy.”
Stefania Lorenz, associate VP, IDC CEMA, said 2014 ended with the PC market in the CEE region contracting 14% year on year as 4Q followed the trends witnessed in the previous quarters, reporting an annual decrease of 18.7%.
“For the second consecutive year the CEE region contracted by double-digit units,” she said. “2014 was affected mostly by the events in the eastern part of the region. Devaluation of the currencies in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan has had the biggest impact on purchasing power. All other countries in the region reported healthy demand for the full year with double-digit growth.”
“The PC market in Central Europe reported overall year-on-year growth of 7.9% in 4Q driven by portable PCs,” said Nikolina Jurisic, product manager, IDC CEMA.
“Demand in the consumer space was driven by the continually attractive prices offered by MS Windows 8.1 plus Bing. The commercial sector recorded even stronger year-on-year growth as there is a clear need to replace the outdated installed base in addition to updates from XP operating systems.
“The MEA region recorded positive growth of 2.6% year on year, thanks to the stronger demand witnessed in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia recovers after the introduction of a new labor law in 2013 that had negatively affected the market, expected changes in the import-tax law in Turkey at the beginning of 2015 have certainly contributed to additional electronic products being shipped into the country.”
Vendor Highlights
The top 3 players in EMEA account for more than half of the market and the top 5 for more than 70% following strategic decisions by Samsung and Sony to further invest in the region.
•HP outperformed the market and consolidated its share at more than 23% in EMEA. The vendor made strong gains particularly in the portable PC area with solid 29% growth, taking the lead in both product categories, despite a small contraction in desktop shipments. New products like Stream and convertibles were very prominent during the holiday season promotions.
•Lenovo maintained the strongest growth among the top players, continuously beating market expectations across EMEA and reaching almost 20% share in 4Q. It saw very significant growth in southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal).
•Dell grew faster than the market and consequently gained shares in EMEA. The vendor performed well in portable PCs and particularly in CEE. A consistent and strong strategy execution supported this.
•Acer recorded a softer performance, in part due to an unfavorable year-on-year comparison. Results in Western Europe were better than in the other subregions. Desktop shipments grew slightly while the vendor increased its focus on tablets.
•ASUS continued to grow aggressively in the desktop market, albeit from a small base, while the success in the tablet market seems to have come at the expense of portable PC shipments, which contracted slightly.
Outside the top 5 vendors, Apple ranked sixth, benefiting from stronger consumer demand. Toshiba’s stronger focus on the commercial market explains why it did not fully leverage consumer trends.
Fujitsu’s focus on commercial led to a decline due to the slowdown in the overall business segment. MSI was in ninth place and Wortmann was 10th.
E-Business
Access Holdings, Coronation Partner Tate Modern to Spotlight Nigerian Modernism

Access Holdings Plc and Coronation Group have partnered with Tate Modern to commemorate World Art Day with a virtual session highlighting the global significance of Nigerian modernism.

Access Holdings
The event, titled “In Conversation with Osei Bonsu: Inside Nigerian Modernism,” featured a virtual tour of the Nigerian Modernism exhibition and discussions on the evolution of modern art in Nigeria.
The session brought together staff members across both organisations, reflecting growing institutional engagement with arts and culture as a driver of societal development.
Speaking at the event, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer of Coronation Group, Ngozi Akinyele, emphasised the role of art in shaping identity and national development.
She said that beyond financial capital, cultural and intellectual capital are essential in defining a nation’s prosperity and inspiring dialogue.
Akinyele noted that both organisations were committed to democratising access to art, ensuring it is accessible to a wider audience rather than a select few.
The discussion also featured insights from Tate Modern Curator, Osei Bonsu, and art expert Daniel Wallis, who examined the development of Nigerian modernism and its global relevance.
Bonsu said Nigerian modernism represents an independent reimagining of global art, rooted in the country’s diverse cultural heritage and expressed through unique visual languages.
According to him, the movement challenges narrow, Eurocentric definitions of modernism and highlights the richness of African artistic expression.
The session further underscored the growing international recognition of Nigerian art, particularly through exhibitions at Tate Modern.
Participants also reflected on the visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the exhibition, described as a milestone in promoting Nigeria’s cultural heritage globally.
In his closing remarks, Chief Communications Officer of Access Holdings, Amaechi Okobi, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing African narratives on the global stage.
He said the collaboration with Tate Modern aligns with broader efforts to promote dialogue, preserve cultural identity and support the creative sector.
The event reinforced a shared commitment by Access Holdings, Coronation Group and Tate Modern to elevate African art globally and ensure Nigerian cultural narratives continue to shape international conversations.
E-Business
NDPC Issues Critical Advisory as Hackers Target Nigeria’s Key Digital Systems

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has issued a regulatory advisory to data controllers and processors across the country following what it described as escalating threats to Nigeria’s data security architecture.

NDPC
In a statement signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, lead of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, the commission said its technical assessment revealed that some shadowy threat actors were engaged in coordinated operations targeting financial systems and critical digital infrastructure in Nigeria.
The commission urged public institutions to comply with the presidential directive of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which emphasises the strategic importance of data in national development.
According to the NDPC, the President had declared that “data is the new oil,” stressing the need for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to rigorously capture and safeguard information in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
The commission therefore advised all data controllers and processors to urgently strengthen their technical and organisational measures to protect personal data and ensure compliance with the law.
It listed key measures to include the appointment of trained and certified Data Protection Officers, implementation of comprehensive privacy policies and information security standards, as well as conducting Data Privacy Impact Assessments.
Other measures recommended by the NDPC include deployment of robust identity and access controls such as Multi-Factor Authentication, adoption of zero-trust security architecture, prompt remediation of system vulnerabilities, and continuous patch management.
The commission also emphasised the need to secure cloud infrastructure, application programming interfaces (APIs), databases and access credentials, alongside real-time monitoring, logging and threat detection systems.
Further recommendations include encryption and secure credential handling, regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing of critical systems, as well as routine backup and resilience testing.
The NDPC warned that organisations that fail to implement appropriate data protection measures in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 risk legal liabilities.
It reiterated its commitment to providing regulatory support to organisations while ensuring the protection of personal data and strengthening institutional resilience across all sectors.
E-Business
Africa’s Forex Market in 2026: Key Trends Every Trader Should Watch

The forex market across Africa is witnessing more participants and more regulatory attention than it did just a few years ago. This growth is part of a bigger picture: Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to expand by 4.3% in 2026, while global forex turnover already hit an estimated $9.6 trillion daily in April 2025. However, there’s more to it than macroeconomic figures.

The trends reshaping the market are happening from within. Here are six worth paying close attention to.
1. Trading Has Moved to the Phone
The number of people accessing the market via mobile phones exceeds those accessing it via traditional bank systems. GSMA states that in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are more than 1.1 billion registered mobile money accounts.
The International Monetary Fund states that digitalisation and increased usage of the internet are changing payment systems in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Mobile access changes traders’ behavior. It lowers the barrier to entry and speeds up deposits and withdrawals. Therefore, brokers who can provide a quality mobile trading experience will have a huge advantage.
2. Regulators Are Watching
The market is becoming more structured and more transparent. In South Africa, the FSCA regulates market conduct for financial institutions. In Kenya, the Capital Markets Authority regulates capital markets and maintains a licensing system that includes online forex brokers.
Nigeria’s SEC has publicly warned that online retail forex trading can be subject to abuse when unregulated. It also provides tools for investors to check operators’ registrations.
As a result, in 2026, more traders are likely to favour brokers that can show clear licensing, transparent operations, and stronger investor safeguards.
3. Volatility Varies by Country
A common mistake is perceiving the African market as one entity. In reality, according to RegTech Afrika, there are 21 countries out of a total of 54 that have a chance of seeing their currencies depreciate in 2025, with some of them losing value by as much as 6% or more.
A trader watching the rand, naira, shilling, or cedi, regional headlines needs more than regional headlines. Country-level macro data, central bank moves, and the US dollar will still play a major role.
4. Cross-Border Payment Infrastructure Is Quietly Improving
Platforms like PAPSS are helping make payments across African countries faster and easier to complete in local currencies. According to official announcements of PAPSS, it has become operational in 18 countries across Africa, with its latest launch in Algeria in 2025. It has also become operational in Kenya through a partnership with KCB Group, as well as in Rwanda through a partnership with Bank of Kigali.
Step by step, Africa is becoming a more financially connected continent.
5. Execution Quality Is the New Standard
Data from the BIS shows that in April 2025, three-quarters of FX trades were intermediated by the global centers of the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Therefore, the best liquidity and best prices are still linked to global conditions.
For local markets, this raises the bar. Forex traders are becoming increasingly aware that tight spreads, while important, mean little without reliable prices and execution. Brokers like JustMarkets that can bring all of these elements together are in a much stronger position than competitors.
6. Education as a Necessity
Regulatory disclosures from major global brokers illustrate how tough it is to trade without proper knowledge. According to publicly available disclosures, between 70% and 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
Forex traders who understand risk management and which financial news to follow have a better chance of surviving the market. Brokers who invest in education are more likely to be seen by traders as valuable partners rather than mere facilitators.
The Market Rewards the Prepared
Africa’s forex market in 2026 is shaped by volatility, stricter rules, and mobile-first trading. The traders who combine market knowledge with the right tools and the right broker will find real opportunity here, while those who don’t adapt will find the market increasingly unforgiving.
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