If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll remember that last year a new smartphone factory opened in South Africa, for a brand called Mara. Well, it’s just added another facility to its list here in SA, with the opening of a Mara Experience Store, owned by South African personality Chante Jantjies, at Maponya Mall in Soweto.

This is Mara why

And the store isn’t going to be the only one. There are another fifty of these things, owned either independently or by the company itself, planned for South Africa before the end of 2022. We reckon they’d like to go faster but… well, look at everything.

The company’s head of growth Sylvester Taku, said: “The launch of the first Mara Experience Store cements our commitment to expand our retail footprint in South Africa and to make it easier for customers to experience and purchase our smartphones and we are thrilled that the first store is opened by Ms Jantjies, an astute and renowned South African businesswoman and broadcaster.”

“Opening the first Mara Experience Store in Soweto’s first mall makes a positive statement about our belief in our bright African future and it connects us to the most populous and bustling places on the continent. As a young South African businesswoman, this is where I can best contribute to our economic upliftment by providing the technology that will help usher in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Ms Jantjies.

Much like other experience stores, customers will be able to interact with devices from Mara while asking questions of the store’s technical staff. Devices will be on sale, as will peripherals like covers and screen protectors.