Independent performance tests have confirmed that Africell provides the best mobile internet experience in Angola.
The results, first published by Angolan newspaper Jornal Expansão and based on the nPerf global speed test platform, mark a historic milestone for Africell’s network and for Angolan telecoms. Between April 2025 and March 2026, nPerf — the independent French speed test platform used by millions worldwide — ranked Africell as Angola’s number-one mobile internet operator, overtaking the country’s long-dominant incumbent to claim the top position for the first time. The result is grounded in data collected from real users across the country, measuring download and upload speeds, average latency, browser fluidity, and streaming performance.
Africell scored 36,409 nPerf points — 4,320 more than Unitel. It is the second consecutive year that nPerf has placed Africell among the leaders, and the first in which Africell has claimed the overall prize. According to the nPerf report:
“After ranking second in the previous edition, Africell has made a decisive breakthrough, rising to first place in the overall nPerf score for the April 2025 – March 2026 period. This progression reflects a broad-based improvement across multiple indicators….The gap between Africell and Unitel in the overall ranking has visibly narrowed, making Angola one of the most competitive mobile markets to watch in the region.”
What the numbers show
The results reflect real, measurable improvements across every dimension of network quality. Africell’s download speed grew 63% year-on-year, rising from 9.66 Mb/s to 15.82 Mb/s. Africell also recorded the best overall latency of any operator in Angola, at 53.3 milliseconds, meaning faster and more responsive connections for browsing, video calls, and other real-time applications.
On 4G specifically, Africell leads in download speed, latency, and web navigation — a distinction it has already held for four consecutive years. The nPerf platform, which is headquartered in Lyon, France, tests providers across network technology categories (3G, 4G, and 5G), giving consumers and industry observers an authoritative, independent measure of real-world internet performance.
Network quality built on strategy
Africell launched in Angola in 2022 with a deliberate focus on urban centres and economic corridors. The brand currently operating across six of Angola’s 21 provinces, including Luanda, Huíla, Icolo e Bengo, Benguela, Huambo, and Cuanza-Sul. This concentrated approach has allowed Africell to invest in first-class infrastructure and equipment (much of which is supplied by Nokia), ensuring that network capacity keeps pace with customer growth.
The contrast with a network stretched across all 21 provinces without proportional infrastructure investment is visible in the data. Where congestion degrades the user experience of rival operators, Africell customers benefit from a modern network purpose-built for the way Angolans use mobile internet today — which, like mobile users everywhere, involves streaming, browsing, social media, and mobile business.
Part of a wider growth story
This result is a milestone in a broader trajectory. Since launch, Africell Angola has grown rapidly, bringing competitive pricing, quality data services, and a customer-first approach to millions of Angolans. The nPerf recognition reflects not just network investment, but a consistent commitment to delivering on our promises to customers.
Across Africell Group’s full portfolio of operating markets — from Sierra Leone and The Gambia to the DRC — the same principle applies: building networks that genuinely work for the people who depend on them. In Angola, that means continuing to expand Africell’s footprint thoughtfully, ensuring that quality travels as new provinces and communities and opened up.
The recognition from nPerf corroborates the feedback Africell has long been receiving from its customers.
“For Angolans who rely on mobile connectivity for work, education, and daily life, this result is a signal that competition is raising the bar,” says Jorge Vazquez, CEO of Africell Angola. “Our challenge now is to ensure that Africell continues to push these boundaries.”
A note on the nPerf methodology
nPerf rankings are determined by aggregating real user test results, not lab simulations. The platform measures average download speed, upload speed, latency, web browsing fluidity, and streaming performance, then assigns a composite score to each operator. Rankings are based on total nPerf points accumulated across all user-submitted tests during the measurement period.
Operators with less than 5% market share are excluded from the main ranking. The nPerf barometer is used by regulators, journalists, and consumers in over 190 countries as a reference for independent network quality assessment.
Sources
- https://media.nperf.com/files/publications/AO/AO-Barometre-Mobile-connections-nPerf-2026_7982.pdf
- https://www.expansao.co.ao/empresas/detalhe/africell-bate-unitel-e-lidera-desempenho-de-internet-movel-em-angola-71457.html