ZTE is trying to make a mark on the South African smartphone market once again. It appears to be a trend now, as more Chinese smartphone makers have entered the country recently and ZTE is the latest. The company is not coming in empty handed either, with the entry-level Blade A3 2020 now available locally.

“The ZTE Blade A3 2020, our entry-level smart device, will retail for below R1000 for the first half of 2021. We realise that many South Africans want an affordable device with modern, impressive features such as screen size, memory, and clear, fast connectivity,” reads a press release sent to Hypertext.

The company noted last month that the Blade A3 2020 would be available soon, but a precise price was unknown at the time. That changes today, however, as we now know how much it will cost and which retailer you can secure it from.

The device retails for a recommended price of R899 from PEP.

The key specifications of the entry-level device follow below, with it also sporting LTE connectivity:

If the Blade A3 2020 does not quite pique your interest, ZTE also has another intriguing device on the way, with a mystery 5G phone said to be arriving in SA within the next couple of months, as well as a few other phones before the halfway mark of this year.

“ZTE will be launching a premium feature-rich 5G device within the next two months – watch this space. ZTE will also be introducing at least four more devices in the first half of 2021,” the press release confirms.

As another Chinese smartphone maker enters SA, it will be interesting to see how others respond and what impact it has on the local mobile space.