LG Electronics is stepping up its investment in technical and after-sales service capabilities in East Africa as increasingly sophisticated consumer appliances raise the skills required to install, diagnose and repair products.
The South Korean electronics maker brought together service professionals from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zambia and South Sudan in Nairobi for the LG Electronics East Africa Service Skill Olympiad, a competition designed to test technical expertise while establishing common service standards across its markets.
The initiative highlights a growing challenge for consumer electronics companies operating in African markets: selling increasingly connected and sophisticated products requires a stronger network of technicians capable of supporting customers throughout the life of the product.
“The customer experience extends beyond purchasing a product. Skilled technicians and reliable after-sales support are central to building customer trust and loyalty,” said Rakesh Singh, CEO at Opalnet.
The technicians were assessed in four categories covering Media Solution, Home Solution, Residential Air Conditioner and Moment of Truth, which focuses on the initial installation experience. The assessments tested fault diagnosis, repairs, technical problem-solving, customer consultation and service delivery.
For LG, the investment in service capabilities is also a way of protecting the customer relationship after the initial sale. Poor installation or repair experiences can undermine confidence in a product, while responsive after-sales support can strengthen customer loyalty and the wider retail and distribution network.
“Investing in our people and strengthening their technical capabilities are important to our long-term business success,” said Sisung Jin, Chief Financial Officer at LG Electronics East Africa.
The company’s approach comes as demand for practical technical skills continues to grow across African economies. Kenya’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector recorded 193,156 graduates across registered institutions in 2022, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection’s Skills Training and Labour Institutions Survey 2025.
The challenge for businesses is increasingly about ensuring those skills match industry requirements. For consumer electronics companies, technicians need to keep pace with advances in electronics, connectivity, automation and energy-efficient technologies incorporated into modern appliances.
LG’s Service Olympics programme began in 2002 and expanded internationally in 2018 to include customer interaction and consultation alongside technical assessments. The East African competition gives the company a platform to benchmark technicians across several markets while identifying areas where additional training may be needed.
Top-performing technicians received certificates, trophies, medals and LG products, including refrigerators, televisions and washing machines.
For LG, the competition is therefore about more than recognising individual technicians. Building a stronger after-sales network can help the company support its products more effectively across East Africa, where the customer experience increasingly extends well beyond the point of sale.