Financing will support advanced mobile network technology, improve connectivity and strengthen American commercial engagement in Angola.
By Ajong Mbapndah L
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) has announced a $99.6 million direct loan to Africell to finance telecommunications investments in Angola, giving the US-owned mobile network operator fresh resources to expand its operations and improve connectivity in the country.
The financing will enable Africell to acquire advanced American and European mobile network technology for its Angolan operations. The investment is expected to improve network coverage, strengthen service reliability and increase competition in Angola’s telecommunications market while supporting American jobs and technology exports.
Africell, which describes itself as Africa’s only US-owned mobile network operator, has established a presence in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. The company sees the latest financing as an opportunity to build on its growth in these markets and introduce more American technology into Africa’s telecommunications sector.
“Africell’s fast growth in Angola and DRC and our long-term market leadership in Sierra Leone and The Gambia demonstrate the unique benefits that high-class American technology, skills and investment can bring to Africa,” said Ziad Dalloul, Africell’s CEO, president and founder.
“We are pleased to be working with EXIM to introduce more trusted communications infrastructure to our operating markets. In doing so, we are flying the flag for American technology leadership and creating secure pathways for future American and allied digital technologies to be deployed in sub-Saharan Africa, including in the Lobito Corridor region.”
For Angola, the investment is expected to bring broader mobile coverage, more reliable services and greater competition. The use of American telecommunications equipment is also intended to help the country diversify its technology suppliers, strengthen cybersecurity protections and reduce exposure to information-security threats.
The US Embassy in Angola welcomed the financing, describing it as a partnership that will benefit both countries.
“The quality and results achieved through partnerships with the United States and American companies speak for themselves,” said Shannon Nagy Cazeau, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.
“This is a win for both our countries: American technology and a more prosperous, more connected Angola.”
The Africell financing comes as the United States expands its commercial involvement in Angola, particularly in transportation, energy and communications infrastructure. According to the announcement, American commitments associated with the Lobito Corridor exceed $5 billion, covering investments in railway upgrades, bridges and broadcasting infrastructure.
The Lobito Corridor, which links Angola’s Atlantic coast to mineral-producing regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, has become a major focus of US-backed infrastructure investment. The initiative seeks to improve regional transport connections, facilitate trade and provide an alternative route for minerals and other commodities to reach international markets.
Africell’s investment could complement these developments by improving communications services for businesses, logistics operators and communities along the corridor. Reliable telecommunications will be important as transport infrastructure expands and commercial activity increases across the region.
The company has also been involved in promoting the corridor’s economic potential. In 2025, Africell released Lobito Bound, a feature documentary examining American investment in the region. Produced with support from the US State Department, the documentary is available internationally on Prime Video, Apple TV and other streaming platforms, according to the company.
The $99.6 million loan strengthens Africell’s relationship with American financial institutions and provides additional backing for its expansion in Angola, where the company is seeking to increase its market presence.
For EXIM, the transaction supports its mandate to promote American exports and employment by helping US businesses compete in international markets. The bank, which serves as the US government’s official export credit agency, provides direct loans, loan guarantees, export credit insurance and working capital guarantees to support American companies operating abroad.
The latest financing adds telecommunications to the growing list of sectors attracting US-backed investment in Angola. For Africell, it provides an opportunity to expand its network, improve services for customers and bring more American technology into a market where demand for reliable digital connectivity continues to grow.
