The Best-Selling Dry Battery Cell Brand in Africa-HUATAI Batteries

Shandong Province, the historic land of Qilu culture, has nurtured many time-honored Chinese brands that carry the collective memory of China’s social, economic, commercial, and cultural development. In response to Linyi City’s initiative of “Revitalizing Time-Honored Brands”, and to enhance the brand value of key local enterprises, Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co., Ltd. officially launches the “Heritage Brands · New Vitality” publicity series through its WeChat platform.

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd.
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd.

Among the many well-known “Made in Linyi” brands closely connected to people’s daily lives, HUATAI Battery is a household name for generations of consumers. Relying on its scale advantage, brand strength, product quality, and strong business reputation, Huatai has been recognized as a National-Level Contract-Honoring and Credit-Trustworthy Enterprise, and has received numerous honors, including:

National High-Tech Enterprise

National “Little Giant” Specialized and Innovative Enterprise

Shandong Provincial One-Enterprise-One-Technology R&D Center

Shandong Gazelle Enterprise

Shandong Manufacturing Single Champion Enterprise

Shandong Technological Innovation Demonstration Enterprise

Huatai Battery Group
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd.

Responding to the Belt and Road Initiative – Going Global

Battery products are the core business of Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co., Ltd. Founded in 1993, the company has adhered to the philosophy of “Integrity in Business, Quality First, Brand-Oriented Development”, and has grown into a large diversified enterprise group integrating battery manufacturing, playing card production, tourism, and agricultural development.

The group operates multiple subsidiaries, including:

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co., Ltd.

Huatai Battery (Tianjin) Co., Ltd.

Huatai Battery Group Playing Cards Division

Shandong Aohua International Real Estate Co., Ltd.

Linyi Longyuan Tourism Development Co., Ltd.

The predecessor of Huatai can be traced back to Linyi Battery Factory established in 1956, giving the group nearly 70 years of battery manufacturing history. Through industrial integration, Huatai consolidated nearly all battery manufacturers in Linyi, forming today’s comprehensive battery manufacturing base with:

48 production lines for alkaline batteries and carbon zinc batteries

Additional production capacity for sodium-ion batteries, button cell batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and lithium batteries

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd

From China to the World: A Pioneer in Battery Exports

The HUATAI brand was officially established in 1993, while its predecessor brands PowerFlash and Kingcell were among the earliest Chinese battery products exported overseas as early as the 1950s.

Today, Huatai batteries are exported to more than 80 countries and regions, including Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, and Southeast Asia, positioning the company as a global dry battery manufacturer, carbon zinc battery producer, and alkaline battery supplier.

Before expanding internationally, Huatai batteries became a nationwide bestseller in China due to their excellent cost-performance ratio, ranking No.1 in carbon zinc dry battery sales north of the Yangtze River for many consecutive years, and consistently placing among Linyi’s top three tax-paying enterprises.

With the introduction of advanced Canadian HIBAR fully automated production lines, Huatai further strengthened its leadership position in China’s dry battery manufacturing industry

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd

Africa: A Strategic Market That Cannot Be Ignored

Africa has long been a key partner of China. Today, organizations such as the Linyi Council for the Promotion of International Trade continue to invite African buyers to source products directly from Linyi.

Africa’s hot, dry, and high-salinity climate poses challenges for many battery brands, often causing rusting and leakage. HUATAI batteries, however, utilize proprietary dual anti-leakage technology and optimized formulations, ensuring stable performance even under extreme conditions.

Combined with high cost-efficiency and flexible OEM/ODM customization, Huatai batteries quickly gained popularity across the African continent.

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd

The “Lion Head” Battery: A Symbol of Quality in Africa

In African culture, the lion symbolizes strength and good fortune. Huatai’s Africa-export batteries feature a customizable “Lion Head” packaging design, which has become widely recognized by African consumers.

Local buyers often squeeze carbon zinc batteries to judge quality. In their view, a solid, non-deformable Lion Head battery represents superior quality—a method suitable for carbon zinc (zinc-manganese) batteries, though not for alkaline batteries.

Today, Lion Head batteries are the No.1 dry battery brand in Africa, achieving:

Over 50% market share in Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Chad, and South Africa

Over 75% market share in Madagascar and Rwanda

In 2008, Lion Head ranked No.6 among China’s Top 100 Enterprises Exporting to Africa, while PowerFlash and Kingcell received “Star Dry Battery Product” awards in Ethiopia and Egypt.

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd

Staying True to the Original Mission: Quality First

Since its inception, Huatai has continuously advanced battery technology:

1950s: Early adoption of low-mercury carbon zinc battery production

1970s: Mechanization of battery manufacturing

1980s: Development of alkaline battery production

1990s: Full mercury-, cadmium-, and lead-free batteries; rapid patent growth

2000: Introduction of advanced international automated lines

2017: Installation of 8 Canadian HIBAR high-speed lines (600 pcs/min)

2020: 1,000 pcs/min high-speed packaging lines

2021: Key provincial technology renovation project

2024: Launch of lithium-ion battery module production (annual 1.3 million sets)

Huatai now operates advanced lithium battery, lithium-ion battery, sodium-ion battery, and energy storage battery production lines, with an annual output exceeding 6 billion dry batteries.

The company has passed ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS18001, RoHS, and BSCI certifications, and received honors such as China Famous Brand Product and National Green Alkaline Battery Pioneer.

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd
Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co.,Ltd

A Leading Battery Manufacturer with a Global Vision

While many brands rise and fall within a few years, Lion Head batteries have stood strong for over 70 years, becoming a pillar of the global dry battery manufacturing industry.

Today’s African battery market remains highly price-sensitive and segmented. Urban consumers prefer international brands and higher-capacity alkaline batteries, while rural and secondary markets rely heavily on low-cost carbon zinc dry batteries.

Huatai’s strategy combines:

Bulk and wholesale supply for mass markets

Authorized distribution and e-commerce for urban channels

Private-label OEM/ODM battery manufacturing for long-term partnerships

Looking Ahead

Shandong Huatai New Energy Battery Co., Ltd. will continue to rely on its three core strengths:
large-scale production capacity, comprehensive battery product lines, and proven African export experience.

As the No.1 best-selling dry battery brand in Africa, Huatai aims to replicate its African success across other global markets, strengthening its position as a leading global battery manufacturer, producer, and supplier of dry batteries, carbon zinc batteries, alkaline batteries, lithium batteries, and button cell batteries.

Related

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *