The Trump administration is issuing a nearly $100 million loan to Africell to curb the rapid expansion of Chinese technology infrastructure across the continent.
According to a draft press release, the financing originates from the Export-Import Bank.
The capital will allow Africell to deploy cutting-edge mobile network technology supplied exclusively by American and allied vendors, bypassing Chinese hardware.
“This loan will enable Africell to invest in the latest mobile network technology from American and allied suppliers,” a draft press release stated on Friday.
Operating across Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, and Sierra Leone, Africell currently provides mobile connectivity to approximately 15 million active subscribers.
This financial backing directly challenges Chinese tech giant Huawei, which historically commands a dominant 52% market share of 5G network infrastructure across sub-Saharan markets.
The transaction accelerates a broader Washington initiative launched earlier this year to aggressively export American cloud, AI, and telecommunications systems to developing digital economies.
By strengthening the sole U.S.-owned telecom operator in Africa, Washington aims to establish a secure Western-aligned alternative to entrenched Asian network hardware providers.
