26 Jan The United States proposed new investments into Angola’s digital transformation efforts to support telecommunication networks

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken toured Africa as part of a relationship-strengthening exercise and to promote Just Transition this week.

He said: “Along with physical infrastructure, the United States is investing in Angola’s digital architecture, supporting reliable telecommunication networks — using trusted vendors — that will benefit the Angolan people and improve Angola’s digital connectivity to the global economy.”

This comes after Blinken, President João Lourenço and Foreign Minister Tete Antonio planned to address the bilateral relationship between the United States and Angola and discuss technology advancements detailed at the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit.

The two regions previously held a shared vision of space exploration collaboration after The Artemis Accords were signed in November 2023 and a bilateral Open Skies Agreement in April, boosting aviation connectivity between the two countries.

The US government formally stated regarding the partnership: “Africa accounts for less than one per cent of total available global data centre capacity despite being home to 17 per cent of the world’s total population.

“This investment builds on the Vice President’s trip to Ghana and is laying the groundwork for a digital revolution on the continent by increasing access to cloud-based technologies, bringing down the cost of internet, which facilitate greater access to women, and making the continent a more competitive destination for industry.”