Africell Angola

TRANSFORMING AFRICAN TELECOMS

Africell is a fast-growing mobile network operator with a pan-African footprint helping sub-Saharan Africa share in the extraordinary long-term benefits of digital connectivity. We discuss its launch and expansion in Angola with CEO of Africell Angola, Christopher Lundh Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

Angola’s government is currently campaigning to reform, liberalise and diversify its oil-focused economy, with telecommunications acting as the central engine of this transition.

Until last year, Angola, a large subSaharan economy with a young and welleducated population, had undershot its

economic potential in part due to a static and underfunded telecommunications sector which continually stunted digital innovation.

Africell Angola (Africell) was invited into Angola to shake up the sector, stimulate competition, introduce better pricing and quality, and spark a wider transformation.

AFRICELL ANGOLA TECHNOLOGY

“We won the license in January 2021 and launched services in April 2022, as all the preparatory work of recruiting a team, building the infrastructure, and fashioning a distribution network was done during the tough COVID-19 pandemic conditions,” explains Christopher Lundh, CEO of Africell.

Battling against an onslaught of lockdowns, travel restrictions, and cost inflation, many companies struggled during this turbulent time, but Africell adopted an ambitious start-up mentality, enlisted both local and international expertise, and

launched on time against the odds.

“Our activities during the roll-out period gave a big boost to the local technology supply chain and the wider economy, at a time when economic activity had slowed,” says Lundh.

“Wherever I have worked in my career, I have been motivated by witnessing how mobile telecommunications are a positive force for society and the economy, and that more digital connectivity is better than less,” he says.

Headquartered in the lively and cosmopolitan capital of Luanda, Africell’s overarching goal is to be

the employer of choice in Angola, offering an inclusive, entrepreneurial and globally connected environment in which ambitious professionals can make a meaningful impact.

A CONTINENT IN TRANSITION

The field of telecommunications in Africa is at the sharp end of several important global trends such as technology, sustainability, geopolitics, the environment and cultural innovation.

“In recent history, Africa has been poorer than the rest of the world, lagging on most measures of

The Africall team

economic development. However, as telecommunications expands on the continent, it is presenting a powerful counter-example to this narrative,” sets out Lundh.

Telecommunications are challenging the idea that Africa is destined to achieve less economically than everywhere else. Mobile communications are bridging economic gaps in Africa that would otherwise be impossible to fill, and doing so relatively cheaply and cleanly.

Modern industrial and commercial activity demands strong and rapid

data, and in the developed world, this is provided mainly by fixed fibre. In Africa, however, installing fixed fibre at scale is prohibitively difficult.

Mobile networks offer a solution by connecting individuals and enterprises to the internet without the need to redesign urban spaces or roll out expensive infrastructure into hardto-access rural areas. They also unlock benefits such as communications, education, trade and entertainment that had previously been out of reach.

The telecommunications sector in Africa is also a driver of wider social innovation.

“Consider mobile money. SMSbased systems for payments and transfers were pioneered in Africa and are now booming everywhere in the world where financial infrastructure is limited. Mobile money is an example

of a genuinely game-changing technology that was developed in Africa for the benefit of Africans, yet has been successfully exported elsewhere,” Lundh argues.

Many people see Africa today as a testing ground for wider geopolitical strategies, and Angola is arguably on the front line of this exciting transition.

EXPANDING THE NETWORK

Spearheading this wave of invigorating transformation across the continent, Africell’s services arrived first in Luanda before launching in Benguela, an important province that is home to Lobito, a major port for the nation. By the end of 2023, the company expects to be present in Lubango, Cabinda, and Bengo.

Africell’s network in Angola is built using Nokia equipment.

Firstly, could you provide me with some insight into Keyresearch, the services you provide and what your portFolio looKs liKe?

Founded in 2005, Keyresearch is the oldest market research company operating in Angola. We specialise in collecting, storing and analysing datasets through the combination of techniques and specialised methodologies which meet the necessities of local and international clients. We offer regular studies, over pre-defined methodologies, such as “Brand Positioning Study”, “Commercial Establishments Census”, and “Retail Audit”. On the other side, we carry out ad hoc studies constructed on a personalised methodology according to the necessity of the problems of the client.

All the projects conducted by Keyresearch are according to the International Code ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)/ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research) for market research, opinion, socials and data analysis.

We also adhere to the United Nations Global Compacts, compromised with the Global

Objectives for Sustainable Development.

could you outline some oF your Key clients and proJects?

We manage the necessities of commercial departments, and the marketing of small, medium, and large major companies, whether they are local, multinational, or governmental organisations.

Now, we have completed more than 500 projects, many of which we are proud to have participated in, and we are thankful to be given the opportunity of their respective sponsorships. The project for PSI Angola had an objective, to learn how the owners of mosquito nets use and care for them in certain regions of our country. Research turned to the correct use of the mosquito nets and a guarantee for better prevention of the disease, which according to the Programme of the Fight Against Malaria affected 2,580,388 people in the first quarter of 2022. Another reference is the research done for International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the poultry sector in Angola. IFC is the biggest global institution which has turned to the private

sector in a developing country. The sector being studied is key for the subsistence of rural Angolan communities, and is strategically important for the economy, food, and nutritional security of the population.

One project which put our team to the test was recruiting for Africell Angola in 2022, for its complexity in managing a team of approximately 1,200 people. There were many difficulties during the selection, recruiting, training, logistics, communication, and technology. We overcame the application of techniques and management tools available for the project. The main objective was to have teams positioned in the province of Luanda and register the biggest number of clients for a new operator, overtaking more than a million registered clients. At the end of 2022, Africell announced recruiting more than five million clients.

which sectors do you operate in?

In 18 years of operating, we have had the opportunity to work on projects in diverse sectors, such as banking, insurance, telecommunications, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage industry, food industry, hygiene, media, health, logistics, and information technology (IT), etc. The research is oriented for the consumer, business-to-consumer (B2C) studies and others for the orientation of companies, and business-tobusiness (B2B) research.

could you tell me a Bit aBout Keyresearch’s regular studies - “Brand positioning study”, “commercial estaBlishments census”, and “retail audit”?

The Brand Positioning Study has the main objective of measuring the impact of trademarks. Through this project, we analyse the performance of the brands that act in the Angolan market and for the segments of the financial market, health, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, hygiene, dairy, tobacco, among others. They have bimestrial periodicity and cover the entire province of Luanda, representing 27 percent of the total population of Angola.

The company owners know and analyse which brands are consumed more, and monitor the indicators utilised in the world such as market share, top of mind awareness, recall of

advertising, Net Promoter Score (NPS), among others. It offers an analysis on how a determined trademark is comparative to the main competitors. On the other side, it becomes possible to make plans of assertive communication through the habits of the media of their market defining the best investment in communication. In this way, the responsibility for communication of the trademark will be verbalising the calculations on Return on Investment (ROI) of their companies. As for the Commercial Establishment Census, it is important to say that we never go very far when we do not know where we are going. This project resolves the problem according to the mapping of establishments of interest and in a determined region with delocalised data. We did an X-ray of these establishments, characterising the type of establishment, access type, products sold, address, telephone contact and much more. It is therefore a powerful tool for the commercial and marketing of a company. With this tool, the company will be able to establish the best routes of distribution, economise with the assertiveness of logistical strategies, and develop commercial actions from the addresses and telephone contacts collected. The Retail Audit project shows what happens in commercial establishments. A very experienced team in this work methodology collect monthly data of the establishments in the province of Luanda. Thereby, they obtain information on the best-selling products and brands for consumers, such as data by type of establishment, product category, brands sold, surveying products in stock and much more. Products from the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sector, cigarettes, biscuits, milk, coffee, tea, chocolates, among hundreds of other food or non-food products

are investigated. It is an extremely assertive tool for the commercial and marketing teams of organisations.

The managers will know the information for the products sold from its brands and competitors. It will facilitate project sales through insights such as the increase or decrease in the stock of the brand’s products. It will monitor the most used key performance indicators (KPIs) in the market, such as market share, sales seasonality and much more, comparing with the company competitors. Therefore, you will always have updated answers to the following questions: Which product sells the most? Which types of establishments sell my products the most? Which packages are most attractive?

All of this in a Power BI dashboard.

what is the company’s mission and vision?

Our mission is rooted in assisting our clients to achieve success, offering access to diversified services of the market research in the qualitative and quantitative approach, providing the companies with trusted evidence as a base for their decision-making, given within the adequate timeframe, and competitive costs, excelling in our operations.

We align ourselves as a national company of reference for market research. We are the partner of choice, recognisable as a provider of quality, accessible, transparent, and competitive coverage which helps our clients in making decisions based on evidence in real time, also maximising business objectives and relationships with stakeholders.

can you speaK aBout the regular marKet

studies with relevance to Brand holders, Brand managers, product distriBution companies? We can share some results of our Brand Positioning Study, released in September 2022. In a sample of 604 individuals residing in the province of Luanda and over 15 years of age, it was found that approximately 68 percent of respondents have a bank account, and men aged between 25 and 34 are most likely to have one. As for media habits, it was found that 55 percent of the individuals interviewed listen to the radio, 86 percent watch television, 23 percent read newspapers, 22 percent read magazines and 73 percent access the internet.

c ould you expand on your specialised techniques?

We have many specialised techniques that we have developed ourselves, but several of them are obtained by companies who we work with. The main one, without any doubt, is the Study of Consumption Habits with the objective of delimiting and describing the consumers of products, services or trademarks at each level of the population.

In addition, the Study of Client Satisfaction is a fundamental tool for managing companies and organisations in a way which assists in strengthening the relationship among companies, the brand, or the institution and its clients. Another technique is the Acceptance Test, which consists of having the product tested by the target audience in conditions as close as possible to the reality of consumption or use, to assess the extent to which the new product is accepted by the target audience.

The Pre-Announcement Test is like an insurance that reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk involved in launching a new advertising campaign. We also developed the mystery client, which is just as the name suggests. The technique considers the presence of research “disguised” as a client, characterised according to the profile of the evaluated establishment.

could you tell us aBout your team - which Fields do they specialise in?

We have an internal team of experienced professionals composed of senior analysts of market studies, analysts of quantities studies, analysts of qualitative studies, programmers, project managers, statistics, marketing, finances, management, law, sociologists, and computer science.

As marketing is always in flux, our team continuously undertakes training, as it guarantees that we are updated on new changes in the management of projects and in market research.

how many employees do you have, what training do they receive, and what are your practices For social and research marKetplace?

Our technical team is composed of 11 collaborators with vast experience in the project management of research and market studies. This internal team is complemented by a robust and experienced field team with roles of interviewers, auditors, recruiters, and supervisors. They are dedicated and regularly trained by our technicians in relation to our policies,

processes, norms, and good practices for the social investigation of the market. As they are freelancers, Keyresearch can select and recruit the necessary number of contributors through our interviewer’s pool.

We also have a group of professional consultants with a minimum of 10 years’ experience. We go to these specialists for projects with an elevated complexity of sectorial research, where they are of great use.

are there any proJects that you are worKing on at the moment or in the Future that you would liKe to showcase?

In the near future, we will be participating in a new project which will impact the nation. It will emphasise and identify failures and problematic service in the distribution of potable water and basic sanitation.

We are talking of a very relevant issue for the communities in research, according to data from the National Statistics Institution, referring to the definite results from the general census of the population and housing in Angola in 2014, only 44 percent of family aggregate in the country have access to appropriate drinking water while 60 percent of the same have access to adequate sanitary facilities.

The project is challenging, but also motivating, and it brings pride to the team at Keyresearch.

It is the only National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant commercial mobile network in Africa, which means that it has both a performance security advantage over other networks in Angola.

It is also distinguished by its 5G capability, offering download speeds up to 15 times faster than Africell’s typical 4G connections, which are already the fastest in Angola by a wide margin.

“Like in our other operating markets of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone and The Gambia, Africell’s focus within Angola is on affordability and reliability. Since launching, we have earned more than seven million subscribers,” according to Lundh.

This is an explosive rate of growth and testifies to the huge pent-up

appetite of Angolan mobile users for a quality network at fair prices –something that has been unavailable to them for far too long. In tailoring its offering to Angola’s needs, Africell works closely with leading partners in local market analysis, such as Keyresearch.

DELIVERING INNOVATION

In 2022, Africell activated and launched its 5G network, which arguably has a more powerful usecase in Africa than in other parts of the world, where ultra-fast internet can be delivered to homes and businesses through fixed cables.

Installing 5G sites is significantly cheaper, easier and quicker than building a fixed cable network, so it can deliver the benefits of high-speed data despite wider

AFRICA OUTLOOK: WHAT HAS YOUR EXPANSION TO BENGUELA BROUGHT TO THE BUSINESS?

Christopher Lundh, CEO, Africell: “Launching in Benguela, our second province, was an important step in our roll-out strategy.

“Benguela is an important city in its own right. It is also home to Lobito, a major commercial port. The processes of identifying sites in the province, deploying the technology, and building a buzz about our services in the local population were our key challenges in the run-up to launch.

“So far, we have succeeded. Subscriber growth has exceeded expectations in part because Africell’s reputation preceded it, following our hugely successful launch in Luanda.

“Mobile users were eager to try our network for themselves. We won’t see our job in Angola as “complete” until we have established more comprehensive nationwide coverage, but our launch in Benguela and, in 2023, in Lubango, Cabinda, and Bengo are huge steps towards that goal.”

infrastructure limitations.

“We are pioneering the development of private mobile networks in Angola, with an emphasis on 5G. The country has plenty of potential “campus” environments, such as port complexes and mine facilities in remote locations, which stand to benefit from fast, reliable and secure connectivity at a large scale and an affordable price,” Lundh outlines.

“We are also due to launch our mobile money service, Afrimoney, in the first half of this year. It will be the first full mobile money service in Angola and promises to increase financial inclusion, encourage private saving and investment, and stimulate Angola’s already lively culture of entrepreneurship,” he adds.

Elsewhere, Africell was the first operator to launch eSIMs in Angola.

These give the company’s customers a high degree of flexibility and allow them to use their devices wherever they are in the world.

As Angolan consumers begin to travel more, and as the country’s tourism industry develops, eSIMs will prove a point of difference for Africell.

“Our mission is to ‘Make Life Simple’ for customers, and eSIMs deliver this.”

A SLAM DUNK FOR AFRICA

Basketball is the most popular sport in Angola, and the NBA (National Basketball Association), America’s top basketball league and

organisation, is a powerful brand name in Africa.

The NBA is currently executing a strategy to expand its activities on the continent, and as a US company, it was only natural for Africell to team up with NBA Africa, an iconic American brand, to lead its entry into Angola.

Lundh tells us how this historic partnership has both commercial and social elements to its wide stretching appeal.

“On one hand, we are excited to be seen by our new customer base as a company that understands the tastes and passions of young Angolans; at

the same time, because the partnership is focused on encouraging women and girls to take up and play basketball, it means that we are contributing in a tangible way to greater social inclusion,” he explains.

Alongside NBA Africa, Africell continues to invest in a plethora of other social initiatives.

In April this year, the Africell Impact Foundation launched an ambitious artist residency programme in Angola called Africell x Angola AIR.

“Artists from across our pan-African footprint – the DRC, Sierra Leone and The Gambia – will travel to Angola to

Lundh is proud of the culture that is emerging at Africell, one that is a product of both careful, meticulous design and deep character.

Headquartered in Luanda, WeeConnect is a dynamic and ambitious company focused on raising the quality standard of its partners and customers in the Angolan market.

Founded in 2021, the company currently has a team of more than 400 employees, including specialised professionals and a management team formed of top senior performers and leaders with over 20 years of accumulated individual experience in different markets and activity sectors.

The entire WeeConnect team is driven by both people and results, with a proven track record of success. Delivering the best customer experience, connecting people and brands through positive interactions, and creating lasting, trusting relationships are what drives them and their commitment to Angola.

Imagine if you could create a corporate culture focused on the best employee experience, having your employees totally committed, passionate and in love with your brand while delivering a great customer experience. How would it be?

WeeConnect was born from the unshakable belief that it was possible for the Angolan market to have an improved quality of service and better customer experience across all the various sectors of activity.

We realised that the market was too centralised and closed to new players. Clearly there was room for bringing more to the market, through new and differentiated solutions, more competitiveness and a lot of passion, and the delivery and innovation to make things happen.

From a small seed, and a lot of enthusiasm to get down to work, today, a year and a half after opening its doors, the Wee dream has been taking shape. The company has been treading its own path and gaining the trust and recognition of its clients and partners on a daily basis, thanks to its level of commitment, distinctive quality and delivery capacity.

In a market full of opportunities that we also help to create and develop together with our clients, we can proudly say that we are already established as one of the group’s main players, continually surprising and

innovating with our value propositions.

We consider ourselves as a clear alternative that is extremely competitive and differentiated at several levels, delivering integrated solutions that are based on international standard best practices, focused on the development and harmonious articulation of people,

processes and systems, transversal to any activity, public or private sector.

Our commitment to Angola is to bring more value to the entire business chain, to our partner companies (B2B), and to their end customers. Businesses win, customers win, and in general, the Angolan consumer benefits the most.

OUR SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS

The opportunity to improve customer service in Angola with the right specialised partner, with vast knowhow and experience in several dimensions to help and support your business. How?

360º Customer Service

Guaranteeing more effective and efficient turnkey solutions, providing information, commercial and technical support at all stages of your customer’s life cycle, before, during and after sales, in all contact channels and touch points: call centre, stores, face-to-face or digital, assisted or remote, front and back office, inbound or outbound, in outsourcing or full outsourcing (BPO) models, with total quality and reliability, allowing you to focus on your company’s core business.

People

Do you need access to highly skilled and qualified resources, filtered by the most rigorous recruitment and selection processes and methodologies to ensure specific functions or processes of your organisation? Whether just in terms of recruitment and selection in its various stages, or the temporary assignment of qualified and specialised human resources for a given project, you can count on WeeConnect as a strategic partner in the supply of qualified manpower.

Training and Qualification

We deliver this through the definition, development and delivery of programmes or standalone training, customised and tailored according to our customer needs, both in soft and hard skills, behavioural and technical competences. This is delivered efficiently and adjusted to the real needs of the customer, according to the maturity stage and proficiency levels of its employees and supported by a prior diagnosis of its organisation, so that they are consistent in the effective qualification and development of its human capital.

Strategic, Organisational and Operational Consultancy

Leveraging international best practices through the analysis, recommendation and implementation of innovative management, control and development

methodologies, in different areas of activity, namely:

• Employee and Customer Experience

• Customer Intelligence (Big Data insights)

• HR Strategy, Audit, Organisational Reengineering and Corporate Culture

• Business Process Management and Automation

• Project Management (PMO)

• Audit and QoS Management Systems and Processes

• QoS Customer Surveys that better support the tracking and management of key strategic performance indicators such as NPS (Net Promotor Score), CES (Customer Effort Score), among others. Both are relevant to transform and improve the delivered and perceived customer experience.

Technological Solutions

Our infrastructure is based on state of the art technology, which is among the best internationally in this activity sector. This allows us to guarantee the provision of a high security and quality service.

Our technological platform guarantees a holistic view of your organisation’s ecosystem in terms of customer service, allowing an integrated, centralised and omnichannel network through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution. This can be all in one screen, or modular, which allows the management of all customer

interactions through every contact channel and touchpoints such as telephony, social networks, digital channels, stores, CRM and Trouble Ticketing solutions interface, quality audit and knowledge base.

WHO WEE ARE?

Our people - our Wees - have the quality of teamwork and the will and enthusiasm to make Angola grow daily in what we do best. These factors are some of the most competitive advantages of our company.

The employee experience ensures the most effective delivery of a better customer experience and that starts at the moment of onboarding. This is when the organisation’s story starts to be written. It is essential to find employees who best fit the desired profile with our culture, values and vision, sharing the joint responsibility of delivering better experiences in collaboration and cooperation within their daily work. This is a determining factor for us to grow together, individually, as a team and as an organisation.

From founders, investors, and managers to the more operational teams, we truly believe in the added value of our work, and that every one of us has an active role in the development of each other. Ubuntu, an African philosophy meaning “I am because we are”, is at our core values and part of our DNA, unlocking the huge potential that together, we

are making and delivering a positive change to the market.

Africell Partnership

“Africell Angola is both very pleased with and indeed proud of our partnership with WeeConnect in recognition of their assistance in providing outstanding customer service to our millions of subscribers”

Christopher Lundh Chief Executive Officer, Africell Angola

Africell Angola’s confidence in WeeConnect has been fundamental to the path we have taken so far. We share the same vision and values, and this greatly facilitated the development of the strong partnership we have today. We were selected at different times, as strategic customer experience partners for the quality and effectiveness of the work carried out, from training to consulting on customer service processes to providing a call centre, digital channels and store services and people, always delivering what we promised in a humble way to do business, in line or even above expectations, and in the most competitive way that the market offers.

“Teaming with WeeConnect as our strategic partner has paid huge dividends to Africell. Although WeeConnect, like Africell, is relatively new to the Angolan market as a company, its

management team’s experience, expertise and professionalism made them the clear choice to represent Africell as our call centre partner. Starting a telecommunications company in a new market is a significant challenge, and WeeConnect shared our commitment to delivering the best customer service experience to our customers, acting as our ambassadors to our customer base from day one. They invested in quality people, provided first class training, and emphasised quality assurance to deliver the highest level of customer service. WeeConnect’s responsive, adaptive, and aggressive leadership has been vital to the success of Africell and we look forward to growing with this team as we continue to deliver the quality of service the people of Angola deserve.”

Chief

James Brown

Operations Officer, Africell Angola

– CHRISTOPHER LUNDH, CEO, AFRICELL ANGOLA

network, research, and collaborate with Angolan artists and creatives. Supporting contemporary African art is a key focus area for the Africell Impact Foundation. Luanda has a vibrant arts community, so we are excited to connect it to other cities in Africa through this first-of-its-kind project,” Lundh expands.

CULTIVATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE

Lundh is proud of the culture that is emerging at Africell, one that is a product of both careful, meticulous design and deep character.

“Design is crucial because we have proactively sought to shape the organisation in a way that encourages transparency and professionalism –for example, by clarifying job scopes and giving employees opportunities to work across functions, and hiring people who have a keen desire to make a positive impact both in the office and in the wider community,” he explains.

In Africa and elsewhere, it is easy for companies to become slow, bureaucratic, and hierarchical, but Africell is avoiding this fate.

“Hiring talented women is a key

“MOBILE MONEY IS AN EXAMPLE OF A GENUINELY GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN AFRICA FOR THE BENEFIT OF AFRICANS”

priority of our strategy moving forward. A diverse and representative team is better at doing the job at hand (in our case delivering quality mobile service). It is also more appealing to our customers.”

Consciousness of the rights and status of women is growing in Angola, and Africell wants to be a company that reflects its customers, the communities that it operates in, and the make-up of contemporary Angola.

The Africell Angola Women’s Network has been instituted to ensure that female employees have the full range of opportunities to develop in their careers and move to leadership positions within the business.

Just like the passion Africell displays for looking after its staff, the company strives to make a positive everyday difference to customers through the provision of affordable, accessible and good quality telecoms products and services, thereby

creating wider social and economic benefits for the countries in which it operates.

“In 2023 and beyond, our priorities are to continue the phased roll-out of our network into new cities and provinces, and to continue to win market share from customers seeking fair prices and good quality service,” Lundh concludes.