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The personal computer hasn’t died, left the building, or been replaced and it is very unlikely that it will in the future.
The past two years reshaped many markets and industries. The shutdowns, the lockdowns, the limited availability of technology components, hamstrung supply chains and multiple other considerations and challenges have influenced technology purchasing decisions and investments.
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The covid restrictions implemented by the South African government accelerated the uptake of PC devices in both the commercial and consumer segments as both required devices that were capable of continuing business operations, maintaining online learning, and ensuring resilient remote working conditions. However, the global shortage of chipsets and components hampered stock fulfilment and demand outweighed supply, says Grace Munyi, Research Analyst at IDC.
“While the demand for the desktop remained relatively low, notebooks and tablets were in high demand and a large percentage of the stock in 2021 was directed towards the fulfilment of these backlog orders,” Munyi adds.
“Desktops gained traction slightly after a quieter year in 2020, which was driven by businesses reopening and operations regaining momentum. However, moving forward desktops are anticipated to decline due to a drop in demand for the traditional desktop while the all-in-one desktop rises in popularity.”
This shift in popularity around the all-in-one desktop is not the only trend shaping the market right now. Thin and light devices designed to support mobility, remote working, longer battery life expectations, and cloud storage will record market growth.
This is a view shared by Fouad Charakla, PCD Associate Research Director, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at IDC, “The demand for thinner PCs that offer flexible displays, faster connectivity speeds, longer battery life, easy mobility will grow. This will also be driven by 5G connectivity and widening cloud adoption trend as these technologies rely on robust PC performance and reliability.”
The Chromebook market is still nascent in South Africa but saw an increase in demand thanks to the education sector. Moving forward, factors such as affordability and supporting infrastructures like reliable electricity and internet connection will determine the uptake of the device across urban and rural areas.
Furthermore, “The digitisation of systems across sectors in a bid to increase operational efficiency will see PCs slip into new IT infrastructure and systems more efficiently and in greater volumes,” adds Munyi.
The market is seeing growth in PCs for businesses and organizations that support key value adds such as security, enterprise computing, and infrastructure integration like servers, data centre, cloud and other turnkey business solutions.
