Africell has secured a $99.6 million loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to expand its telecommunications infrastructure, strengthening the American-owned operator’s position in Africa’s fast-growing digital economy.

The financing will support Africell’s investment in mobile network technology from U.S. and allied suppliers, with Angola at the center of the expansion. The deal also deepens Washington’s efforts to increase the use of Western telecommunications technology across African markets.

Africell to expand network technology in Angola

The EXIM financing will allow Africell to deploy newer network infrastructure as demand for mobile data and digital services grows across Angola.

“We are pleased to be working with EXIM to introduce more trusted and secure communications infrastructure to our operating markets,” Africell CEO Ziad Dalloul said.

Shannon Nagy Cazeau, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, said the partnership demonstrates the benefits of U.S. commercial and technology ties with Angola.

The financing builds on earlier U.S. government support for Africell. EXIM had previously announced a preliminary $100 million commitment to help expand the company’s wireless services in Angola and upgrade equipment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Africell’s American ownership gains importance

The transaction comes as Washington seeks to expand the global use of American technology in areas including telecommunications, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.

That puts Africell in a strategically important position. The company is the only U.S.-owned mobile network operator in Africa, according to its corporate materials, and operates in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

Founded in 2001, Africell is headquartered in London and provides voice, SMS, data and mobile-money services through its Afrimoney platform. The company currently serves more than 15 million subscribers, according to its latest corporate website, and employs thousands of people across its markets.

A broader African telecom expansion

Africell has built its network around a mix of Western technology suppliers. Its Angola network uses Nokia technology, while the company has also worked with technology providers including HP, Dell and Oracle.

The company has also tapped international capital markets, issuing a $300 million corporate bond in 2024 as it expanded network investment across its four African markets.

The latest EXIM loan therefore gives Africell another source of capital as it expands digital connectivity and competes for customers in some of Africa’s fastest-growing telecommunications markets.