It’s still safe to buy a Huawei phone in South Africa.

The tech giant insists none of the phones currently in use, or on South African shelves, will be affected by US restrictions affecting its business with American companies.

The US had Huawei phone users gasping last month when it barred US suppliers from selling to the world’s largest telecommunications equipment company.

Phone owners were left in the dark about their continued use of Google, Whatsapp, and Facebook, as the ban prevented them from installing updates from those companies on their phones.

But Huawei South Africa says there’s no need for confusion and panic.

The US ban on Huawei came in the midst of a trade dispute with China and concerns about the companies coziness with the Chinese government.

Fears were raised that its equipment could be used to spy on other countries and companies.

Source: eNCA