- Africell Angola launched in 2022 as the first new mobile operator in two decades, offering free on-net calls and data at up to half the price of rivals.
- With over 600 sites, 250 staff and more than five million subscribers, Africell pushes competition and digital inclusion across urban Angola.
Africell Angola: a new era for connectivity
Africell Angola started commercial operations in April 2022. It became the first new mobile operator in Angola in more than twenty years. The launch was late because of rules and talks with officials. The company got Angola’s fourth unified communications licence in early 2021. Africell then rolled out services with big support from the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The first offers had free Africell to Africell calls. The data bundles were up to 50% cheaper than other operators.
Also Read: SpeedNet Angola extends broadband access to rural communities
Also Read: BODIVA drives Angola’s capital market growth
Industry context: challenges and innovation
Angola’s telecoms sector has been run by a few main players for many years. It has had little competition and prices have been high. There is now growing demand for digital access, mobile money, and fast internet in cities like Luanda. Africell is adding brand-new energy with cheaper bundles, prepaid eSIMs, the mobile money service Afrimoney, TV streaming through AfriTV, and digital tools like AfriGPT.
Nationwide coverage is still diffucult to achieve, and rural and peri-urban areas remain difficult to serve. The market needs more investment in networks and new ways to connect people in places outside the main cities. Africell is rolling out more 4G services and starting to activate 5G, while Unitel and Movicel are strong rivals. This is bringing both change and wider access for customers across the country.
