• Xiaomi South Africa launched its latest mid-range series, the Redmi Note 13, in Johannesburg last evening.
• We reviewed the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G and found a solid mid-ranger with fast-charging and great photo-taking.
• Xiaomi told us that it is planning to bring more premium smartphones to the market “very soon.”

Last evening near downtown Johannesburg, Xiaomi South Africa launched the Redmi Note 13 smartphone series in South Africa. The lineup, including the Redmi Note brand’s latest flagship, launched in China at the beginning of the year and is now available locally via Incredible, online at Takealot and on contract through Vodacom.

Not even the chilly air could kill the vibes, as the series including the top-of-the-range Redmi Note 13 Pro+, was ushered in by the beat of house music and the bustle of Johannesburg’s tech-savvy crowd.

We reviewed the Note 13 Pro+ 5G in February, ahead of the April launch of the series, and found a solid offering for the mid-range price group. With solid performance and an exceptionally fast-charging battery. Click below to read our full review of the device.

Xiaomi SA marketing manager Iris Cao told those gathered that April is the company’s birth month, so it makes perfect sense to launch the device in South Africa this month. The Chinese firm is gearing the new smartphones towards a younger crowd and is hoping the Pro+’s 200MP main camera can sway content creators and photographers.

“The Redmi Note 13 series is an amazing update,” Coa told Hypertext, somewhere near the bar, “And is so far the best of our Redmi series.”

Cao says that despite the extremely competitive smartphone market locally, especially in the low to mid-range category, Xiaomi is hoping to stand apart with its affordable smartphones that come packed with features.

However, the retail price for the top-of-the-range of the series, the Pro+ 5G sits at R16 500, so it is on the upper side of that scale.

In terms of the future, Cao says that next for South Africa are new models in the Redmi Note series for the mid-range market, but also more premium smartphones. When asked if she could provide a timeline for these latest releases, Cao told Hypertext “I cannot say now, but we’re definitely going to keep our fans updated. Very soon.”

Xiaomi is also bundling its smart home products with a new limited contract deal for the Redmi Note 13 series, ending in April.

Adding another R9 per month on the 36-month contract you would get for the new smartphone could see you take home a Xiaomi smartwatch, smart vacuum, fan, smart assistant and more. Cao told us that Xiaomi is hoping to become the leader in smart home appliances through saturation.

“I think in terms of the smart home devices, Xiaomi has the majority of the products [in the South African market],” she said.

“From vacuums, from airfryers, from scooters, speaker and even the smart clock. So we have the whole range, which gives our customers more choice.” Coa added that Xiaomi is also offering its smart products on third-party retailers like YuppieChef, which makes them more accessible.

We hope to see more premium devices from Xiaomi in South Africa, a plan that is being followed by its competitors. Brands like Honor and OPPO already have foldables available locally, and they don’t come cheap.