Moroccan tech tycoon Karim Benjelloun’s Disway reports $95 million in revenue in H1 2022

Morocco’s foremost technology distributor and retailer Disway has announced a 5.3-percent increase in revenue at the end of the first half of its 2022 fiscal year, as total sales improved to nearly $95 million during the period despite growing supply chain issues.

Founded as a technology and hardware distributor by leading Moroccan tech entrepreneur Karim Benjelloun, Disway is one of the Maghreb region’s principle technology players. Benjelloun, the general manager of Disway, owns 7.36 percent of the company, or 138,822 ordinary shares.

According to figures from its activity indicators for the first half of 2022, Disway’s revenue rose by 5.3 percent to MAD973 million ($94.9 million) from MAD924 million ($90 million) in the first half of 2021, owing to an increase in sales of desktops, laptop PCs, printing, and imaging products.

The revenue growth in the first half of 2022 is in the single digits despite disruptions in its operating environment caused by supply chain and other industry-related issues such as a chip shortage that has severely impacted manufacturers’ output across the board.

Disway was able to leverage its robust retail network to deepen its reach in the industry as part of a move to reach high-end technology buyers amid a spike in demand for tech products and accessories despite difficulties in all aspects of its business model.

Its first-half revenue figures were boosted by technology product sales in Morocco, where revenue increased by 6.2 percent to MAD818 million ($80 million) from MAD770 million ($75.1 million) in the first half of 2021.

On a quarterly basis, Disway’s revenue in the second quarter of 2022 fell to MAD481 million ($46.9 million), down from MAD492 million ($47.9 million) in the first quarter of 2022.

Disway entered into a partnership deal with GCN Group to accelerate its digital transformation by deploying a new platform for the sale of software products as it moved to put both revenue and earnings on the path of sustainable growth.

This follows the launch of a new version of its e-commerce website dedicated to IT resellers in October 2021, which is aimed at fulfilling its promise as a leading distributor.

Disway announced that it plans to explore new partnership opportunities in the techology industry to expand its operational footprint, and that the provisional delivery schedule of its new logistics platform in Skhirat will be maintained in the fourth quarter of 2022.