The Trump administration has provided a $99.6 million loan to Africell, a U.S.-owned cell phone network operator in Africa, to expand American tech presence on a continent where China’s Huawei is a leading player. Africell announced the loan from the U.S. government’s Export-Import Bank on Friday and said it is the only U.S.-owned cell network operator in Africa.
That’s the cleanest version of the power play. One government bankrolls a telecom operator to widen its reach, another giant company already dominates the infrastructure, and ordinary people across the continent are left living inside the competition between states and corporations.
Who Gets Backed
Africell said the loan would "boost U.S.-based employment in the telecommunications sector and strengthen American technology leadership abroad." It said the money would let it invest specifically in American and European technology for its operations in Angola. Africell also operates in Congo, Sierra Leone and Gambia.
The language is polished. The arrangement is not. Public money from the U.S. government’s Export-Import Bank is being used to extend a U.S.-owned company’s footprint, with the stated aim of strengthening American technology leadership abroad. The people who actually live with the networks don’t get to set the terms. The boardrooms and state offices do.
Huawei is the world’s biggest supplier of telecommunications network equipment and is estimated to have supplied more than half the 4G and 5G network infrastructure in Africa. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration raised national security concerns about Huawei in his first term and has moved to counter its global expansion. The U.S. has lobbied Western allies to avoid using the Chinese company’s products in their high-speed wireless networks, while U.S. prosecutors have accused Huawei of stealing technology, plotting to steal U.S. trade secrets and committing wire and bank fraud, among other crimes. A criminal racketeering trial against Huawei opened in New York this week. Huawei said the U.S. allegations are "demonstrably false."
That’s the contest: one set of rulers warning about another set of rulers, each wrapped in the language of security, law and innovation. The infrastructure underneath all of it remains a battleground for corporate capture and state power.
What Power Calls Competition
The Trump administration has also moved to counter China’s large influence in other areas in Africa, including in the extraction of critical minerals and rare earth elements that are key in the production of electronics, other new technologies and defense systems.
So the fight isn’t just over phones and towers. It reaches into minerals, supply chains and the raw materials that feed electronics and defense systems. The continent’s resources are treated as strategic assets to be managed from above, not as wealth controlled by the people who live on the land.
China is seeking deeper cooperation with South Africa and other countries in the Global South to advance artificial intelligence development, strengthen scientific capacity and shape international AI governance. Li Xiuquan, Director of the Key Science and Technology Fields Research Center at the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, said open-source technologies, shared datasets and international capacity-building initiatives could make AI resources more accessible to developing countries.
Li made the remarks while addressing a parallel session at the High-Level Conference on International Cooperation in Open Science underway in Shanghai, China. The conference precedes the three-day 19th Pujian Innovation Forum in Shanghai, at which South Africa is the Country of Honour. With a gross domestic product of around R13 trillion, the central east coast city is China's economic superpower. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Prof Blade Nzimande, is leading a high-powered South African delegation at the gathering. The group includes scientists, researchers, innovators and senior government officials.
Li said, "It is a period of transformative change. Going forward, more and more industries will undergo profound transformation as technology continues to evolve," and said scientific research could benefit substantially because of AI's ability to process complex and multidimensional information. He said, "Going forward, the development of AI will undoubtedly drive scientific progress and produce increasingly innovative results."
He also said China viewed cooperation with countries in the Global South as an important component of its international AI programme. That includes exchanges involving Chinese researchers, United Nations institutions and participating countries. "Through international forums, we have conducted various South-South exchange programmes involving teams from China, the United Nations and partner countries, with a focus on strengthening AI capacity. We have also conducted numerous exchange programmes under the Belt and Road Initiative, targeting the Global South," he said.
China has released a Belt and Road Initiative AI Innovation Action Plan and a three-year programme focusing on AI, human resources and science and technology capacity-building in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries. The country was also pursuing international collaboration in areas such as unmanned systems, intelligent equipment and intelligent societies. Open innovation, Li said, was one of the four fundamental principles underpinning China's approach to AI development. "China's approach to AI innovation and development encourages open-source collaboration. We also encourage Chinese AI industries to participate in AI governance," he said.
Li said Chinese research teams had released leading AI products and models distinguished by their efficiency and comparatively low energy consumption. "More importantly, these research teams are making their models open source and available to the rest of the world. China is a global leader in this field, and Chinese products have become an important driving force in AI development," he said. He said approximately 30 000 datasets had been made publicly available for use by AI institutions and government agencies. "We have established different types of open-source, publicly accessible datasets for training AI models."
Li said technological development has to be accompanied by safeguards addressing the risks associated with AI. "Security and development must advance in tandem. That is why we have introduced governance rules for new-generation AI, principles for responsible AI, ethical guidelines for new-generation AI and interim regulations governing generative AI services," he said. He said governments needed industry-specific measures that addressed both the immediate and longer-term challenges arising from the expanding use of AI. Li also called for developing countries to participate in shaping an inclusive international governance system instead of remaining passive recipients of AI technology. "China believes it must contribute more to the establishment of a global AI governance architecture. At this stage, AI development is becoming more difficult and demanding, creating a greater need for collaborative cooperation. Stakeholders must work together to guide the development of AI," he added. Li invited participating countries to deepen exchanges and share practical experience.
The Corporate Festival Circuit
MTN Ghana has launched DigiFest 2026 in Accra to promote digital innovation, transformation and solutions aimed at creating value for customers and strengthening the digital ecosystem. The launch also featured the opening of a technology fair that will run for three days and showcase the latest innovations from MTN Ghana and its partners.
The Chief Digital Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr Ibrahim Misto, said the festival was focused on bringing together digital innovations to explore how they could improve customers' experiences. He said the technology fair would provide an opportunity for MTN and its partners to showcase innovative solutions and explore ways of applying technology to address customers' needs. "MTN is bringing together these digital innovations to explore how we can add value and benefits to our customers throughout their digital experiences," Mr Misto said.
He said MTN Ghana was also focused on building partnerships and developing the capacity of people and businesses within the digital ecosystem. According to him, the company wanted to work with stakeholders to develop greater capacity within the ecosystem and coordinate efforts to promote digital development. Mr Misto said the initiative was also intended to create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurs and other businesses. He explained that DigiFest would feature a number of masterclasses and capacity-building initiatives to help participants improve their understanding and use of digital technologies.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr Stephen Blewett, stressed the importance of using data to understand human behaviour and develop products and services that respond to individuals' needs. He said businesses could use data to gain a better understanding of their customers and develop offerings that were more relevant and personalised. Mr Blewett also highlighted the importance of using artificial intelligence responsibly, noting that although the technology could provide significant benefits, it could also be misused. "At MTN, we take this not only as a business imperative but as something that is core to who we are," he said. He further emphasised the need for Ghana to develop the skills and human capacity required to participate fully in the digital transformation. "We need to develop our own skills and our own people and make sure that we are part of this transformation," Mr Blewett said.
DigiFest 2026 is expected to provide a platform for businesses, entrepreneurs, technology players and other stakeholders to explore emerging digital solutions and opportunities. The technology fair will complement the festival by providing a space for participants to interact with new technologies and innovations from MTN Ghana and its partners.
Who Gets to Shape the Future
More than 2,000 African and global business leaders plus heads of state will gather in New York on September 20-21 for Unstoppable Africa, the flagship event of the Global Africa Business Initiative. Convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and organized and coordinated by the UN Global Compact, the fifth edition of Unstoppable Africa will convene under the theme "Powering Business, Scaling Economies, Shaping the Future."
Held on the sidelines of the opening of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Unstoppable Africa will feature leading investors, policymakers, creatives, sports executives and decision-makers working to accelerate Africa's business, trade and investment and amplify its role in shaping global markets. Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact, said: "This year, we are sharpening the focus on mobilising capital, forging partnerships, building businesses and turning Africa's assets and opportunities into investable, scalable outcomes. The ambition is not simply to shape how the world sees Africa, but to shape where global capital flows, where value is created and how Africa can capture it."
The high-level convening comes at a time of global supply chains being redrawn by geopolitical tension, energy insecurity and shifting trade rules. For the African continent, these pressures create an opportunity to leverage its critical minerals, renewable energy potential, expanding consumer markets and young workforce to attract long-term capital and capture more value from global shifts. Unstoppable Africa 2026 will look at how the continent can turn these shifts into lasting economic opportunity.
The program will focus on how Africa can capture more value from its critical minerals, strengthen infrastructure and trade, mobilise capital at scale and build more integrated and competitive markets. Discussions will also explore Africa's energy transition, the development and ownership of AI and digital infrastructure, the financing and global distribution of African creative industries, and how sport can become a stronger engine for investment, talent development and economic growth.
Other confirmed speakers include H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President, Republic of Sierra Leone; H.E. Duma Gideon Boko, President, Republic of Botswana; H.E. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda; Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO, African Finance Corporation; Nolitha Fakude, Chairperson, Anglo American South Africa; Tidjane Thiam, General Partner, Allied Critical Minerals Fund; Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO and Executive Director, Naspers; Olugbenga Agboola, CEO, Flutterwave; Cameron Bailey, CEO, Toronto International Film Festival; Wanuri Kahiu, filmmaker; Akunna Cook, Founder and CEO, Next Narrative Africa Fund; Luol Deng, former NBA All-Star and President, South Sudan Basketball Federation; Clare Akamanzi, CEO, NBA Africa; Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations; Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States on Arab and African Affairs; and Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.
The five themes of GABI and Unstoppable Africa are Energy, Digital Transformation, Trade, Creative Industries and Sport. They will be supported by high-level plenaries, CEO and investor roundtables, ministerial dialogues, startup showcases and GABI Solutions Labs. The 2026 edition will create opportunities to spark transactions, develop investment vehicles and form cross-border alliances and partnerships. Full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area could create a $3.4 trillion market, according to UNCTAD's 2024 Economic Development in Africa Report, highlighting the scale of the opportunity as regional integration deepens.
The event will again be hosted by Folly Bah Thibault, Senior News Anchor at Al Jazeera Media Network, and Larry Madowo, International Correspondent at CNN, and will spotlight more than 500 nominees in the Unstoppable Africans campaign. Media partners to date include African Business/New African; African Renewal; Afrique Media; AllAfrica; Arise News; Business Digest Magazine; Citizen TV; EIB Network; Envoy Magazine; The Kenyan Wall Street; News Central TV; SDG News; The Africa Report; The Nation Media Group; and TIME Africa. Unstoppable Africa 2026 will take place at the New York Marriott Marquis, Times Square, 1535 Broadway, New York City. Accredited media and other eligible communication professionals can register at https://apo-opa.com/unstoppable-africa-2026/.