Emerging market vendors are increasingly the powerhouses of the smartphone business, with Chinese and Indian brands eating away at the market share of Apple and Samsung. But while OEMs and contract manufacturers are proliferating in Asian and Latin American countries, so far Africa has missed out on the smartphone opportunity. A start-up called Onyx Connect aims to change that, becoming the first company to manufacture smartphones in Africa. Like the Chinese and Indian industries, local African production is likely to be driven initially by rising local demand, and in cost-sensitive user bases, avoidance of import duties and transport fees can be important. If Onyx and future rivals are successful, they will be able to build on that localized starting point…