Angola has recorded a significant increase in wireless service uptake, with approximately 74 out of every 100 inhabitants now subscribing to mobile telecommunications services, according to official remarks made at a key digital forum in the capital. This marks a stark contrast to figures from 2002, when only one in every 130 Angolans was a wireless subscriber, representing a more than 95-fold increase over two decades.
The announcement was made by José de Lima Massano, Angola’s Minister of State for Economic Coordination, at the fifth edition of the Angola International Forum on Information and Communication Technologies, held in Luanda. The minister attributed this exponential growth to the country’s communications expansion and modernisation programme, a core pillar of the 2023–2027 National Development Plan.
Speaking at the forum, Massano emphasised the strategic orientation of Angola’s digital evolution, stating that the programme “promotes a clear digital agenda, expanding connectivity across the entire national territory, modernising public services, fostering technological entrepreneurship, ensuring cybersecurity and data sovereignty, and preparing future generations for the challenges of the digital economy.”
The forum, themed “50 Years Communicating, Modernising and Developing Angola”, underscores the government’s alignment of digital transformation with long-term socio-economic objectives. It brings together national and international stakeholders, including over 100 companies and more than 150 startups, with organisers anticipating around 20,000 visitors over its three-day run.
Mario Oliveira, Angola’s Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, reinforced the government’s commitment to infrastructural development. “We are creating telecommunications infrastructures that support not only the economy but also the practical, daily lives of citizens. This includes access to internet banking, telemedicine, and tele-education,” he stated.
Oliveira also highlighted the public sector’s embrace of administrative modernisation through digitalisation, which he characterised as a crucial enabler of improved citizen welfare and national competitiveness.
The surge in wireless service penetration is viewed as a direct consequence of these coordinated national policies, particularly in expanding access and inclusivity across urban and rural areas alike. The implementation of fibre-optic backbones, satellite links, and mobile broadband services has underpinned this transition, alongside regulatory reforms and increased private sector participation in Angola’s telecommunications market.
Furthermore, Angola’s alignment with global digital development indicators signals its aspiration to emerge as a regional hub for technological innovation and digital entrepreneurship. This ambition is evidenced by initiatives in youth digital literacy, software innovation, and secure data governance, all of which are integral to the broader vision of a digitally empowered Angola.
The Angola Press Agency (ANGOP), the official news outlet, reported these developments, aligning with the government’s transparency in communicating the objectives and achievements of its digital roadmap.
As Angola marks five decades of progress in communication technologies, the wireless subscriber growth offers a measurable and symbolic milestone in the nation’s pursuit of inclusive digital modernity.
