Huawei

For stepping outside its comfort zone. The controversial telecom service pushed its way into Nigeria as part of its relatively new presence in the consumer market. In May it began selling $170 smartphones in the country, the cheapest on the market, and put $1 million towards advertising to appear more favorable among Nigeria’s brand conscious consumer. Huawei’s money may prove to be in the right place at the right time–Nigeria saw a 1,280% boom in smartphone use last year.