Africell has secured a major vote of confidence from the United States Government following the announcement of a $99.6 million direct loan from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to support advanced telecommunications investment in Angola.

The landmark financing positions Africell, Africa’s only mainstream American-owned mobile-network operator, as an increasingly important force in the continent’s digital transformation. It will enable the company to acquire modern mobile-network equipment from American and European suppliers, improving the quality, reliability and security of its services.

Africell currently operates in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, serving between 15 million and 16 million subscribers. Its operating licences cover markets with a combined population of more than 150 million people.

Although the newly announced financing is specifically intended for Africell’s operations in Angola, it represents a significant endorsement of the company’s wider business model, technological direction and long-term commitment to Africa.

Africell entered the Angolan market in 2022 and has since established itself as a strong competitor by expanding consumer choice, introducing innovative services and investing in modern digital infrastructure. The company says the new financing will support wider coverage, stronger connectivity and improved protection against cybersecurity threats.

Africell’s Chief Executive Officer, President and Founder, Ziad Dalloul, welcomed the partnership, noting that the company’s expansion in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, together with its established presence in Sierra Leone and The Gambia, demonstrates what quality technology and sustained investment can deliver.

“We are pleased to be working with EXIM to introduce more trusted communications infrastructure to our operating markets,” Ziad Dalloul stated.

He said the collaboration would create secure pathways for the deployment of American and allied digital technologies across sub-Saharan Africa, including countries within the strategically important Lobito Corridor region.

The financing also strengthens Africell’s reputation as a trusted partner capable of attracting substantial international investment into Africa’s telecommunications industry. At a time when reliable internet connectivity is becoming increasingly important to education, commerce, governance, healthcare and financial inclusion, Africell’s continued expansion offers considerable benefits to consumers and national economies.

The loan forms part of a broader American commercial strategy to promote trusted telecommunications technology and provide African countries with more choices in acquiring critical digital infrastructure.

Huawei currently maintains a major position in Africa’s telecommunications market, reportedly supplying about 52 per cent of the continent’s 5G infrastructure. Africell’s partnership with the US Export-Import Bank therefore gives African markets access to alternative technologies from American and allied suppliers.

The company has previously worked with leading international technology firms, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell, Oracle and Finland’s Nokia. Those partnerships have helped Africell develop modern infrastructure, including a data centre supporting its Angolan operations.

The latest financing is Africell’s second publicly announced major loan from a United States Government-backed institution. In 2018, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, now known as the US International Development Finance Corporation, approved a $100 million facility to support the expansion and improvement of Africell’s telecommunications infrastructure.

Together, the two publicly announced financing facilities amount to nearly $200 million, demonstrating continued American confidence in Africell’s growth potential and ability to deliver modern communications services across Africa.

Chargé d’Affaires, Shannon Nagy Cazeau, of the US Embassy in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe described the latest partnership as beneficial to both the United States and Angola, highlighting its potential to promote American technology while strengthening connectivity and economic prosperity.

Africell provides voice, data, 4G and 5G services alongside Afrimoney, its mobile-money platform. Its continued investment is helping millions of Africans communicate, conduct business and participate more effectively in the rapidly expanding digital economy.

The $99.6 million financing represents another important milestone in Africell’s development and reinforces its position as a credible, innovative and internationally supported telecommunications operator committed to Africa’s digital future. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/archives/64284