NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19-ASUS is betting on Kenya’s tech-savvy population and rising SME digitization to drive demand for affordable artificial intelligence-enabled devices across East Africa, as the company expands its commercial footprint in the region ahead of the inaugural GITEX Kenya 2026 in Nairobi this week.
The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer says it is positioning Kenya as its regional gateway, targeting young consumers, startups and small businesses increasingly adopting AI-powered tools to improve productivity while managing costs.
“Kenya will be gateway for the growing IT and AI development in this region,” Tolga Özdil, ASUS Regional Commercial Director for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said ahead of the event.
“That’s why we are here, and we’re gonna be introduced some of tomorrow, inside of the GITEX.”
The company, globally known for gaming and consumer laptops, is now deepening its focus on the business-to-business market, particularly SMEs seeking lower-cost devices with enhanced durability, offline AI capabilities and longer product lifecycles.
The move comes as Kenya strengthens its position as a regional technology hub, attracting multinational firms looking to access East Africa’s expanding digital economy and youthful consumer base.
Özdil said ASUS is developing products across different price points to cater to budget-conscious consumers without compromising AI functionality.
“Kenya’s younger generation [is] quite interested to all of the AI development,” he said.
“And we are care about the education also to these people.”
ASUS says it has invested in digital literacy programmes and computer labs across Africa while introducing financing and rental models aimed at helping businesses adopt enterprise technology without heavy upfront spending.
The firm is also targeting organizations concerned about cybersecurity and data privacy through commercial devices capable of supporting offline AI processing.
Its Kenya expansion highlights growing competition among global technology manufacturers seeking early dominance in Africa’s emerging AI-driven consumer and enterprise markets.
