The Trump administration will provide nearly $100 million via the U.S. Export-Import Bank to Africell to finance modern mobile-network equipment from U.S. and allied suppliers, aiming to reduce reliance on Huawei in Africa. The move is part of Washington's broader "clean network" campaign and follows a 2025 executive order to promote U.S. technology overseas. Africell, the only U.S.-owned telecom operator in Africa, serves about 15 million customers across several countries and previously received a $100 million OPIC loan in 2018.
U.S. Backs Africell With Nearly $100M EXIM Loan to Challenge Huawei's Expansion in Africa
FILE PHOTO: A man looks on as he walks next to a Huawei store in the Wangfujing street in Beijing, China, July 8, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The Trump administration will provide nearly $100 million in financing to Africell, the only U.S.-owned telecommunications operator in Africa, as part of efforts to curb the spread of Chinese vendor Huawei across the continent, according to a person familiar with the matter and a draft press release reviewed by Reuters.
Loan Aimed at Trusted, Secure Networks
The funding, provided by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), is intended to enable Africell to invest in modern mobile network technology sourced from American and allied suppliers. The draft release says the loan will "enable Africell to invest in the latest mobile network technology from American and allied suppliers."
"We are pleased to be working with EXIM to introduce more trusted and secure communications infrastructure to our operating markets," said Ziad Dalloul, Chief Executive Officer of Africell Holding Limited, in the document.
Context And Strategic Goals
Washington views the move as part of a broader campaign to encourage the adoption of non-Huawei telecom equipment overseas. The Trump administration launched a "clean network" initiative in his first term to reduce reliance on Chinese telecom technology in the U.S. and allied countries and has pursued similar measures in his second term. A 2025 executive order by President Trump also directed U.S. agencies to promote American technology abroad in areas including artificial intelligence, data-center storage, cloud services and networking.
Huawei has been heavily sanctioned by the U.S. over allegations it could facilitate espionage, which the company denies. Counterpoint Research estimates Huawei holds roughly a 52% share of Africa's 5G infrastructure market.
Africell's Footprint And Past Financing
Founded in 2001, Africell has invested in infrastructure using technology from vendors such as HP, Nokia, Dell and Oracle to support a new data center in Angola. The company serves about 15 million customers across Angola, the Gambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. Africell previously received a $100 million loan in 2018 from the U.S. development financier Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), now the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), to expand its communications infrastructure.
Requests for comment were not immediately returned by Huawei or the Chinese embassy, according to the draft release.
(Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
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