In this Q&A, Africell DRC’s CEO Kory Webster discusses his outlook for the country’s telecommunications sector.
Africell has been investing heavily in its network in the Democratic Republic of Congo. What is driving that investment?
The DRC is one of Africa’s largest and most dynamic telecoms markets, and it remains significantly underpenetrated in both internet access and financial services. That gap represents a real opportunity. Our investment strategy is focused on expanding network capacity, improving service quality, and building the digital infrastructure that businesses and consumers need to thrive. We are not chasing growth through tariff increases; we want to earn it by being better.
How is AI changing the way Africell operates in the DRC?
We are integrating AI across our mobile, data and mobile money operations, and the impact is already tangible. On the network side, AI-driven systems are helping us improve efficiency and make faster operational decisions. On the customer side, they are enhancing the service experience. In financial services, AI is a powerful tool for fraud detection, which is essential in the context of our Afrimoney business.
What role does Afrimoney play in Africell’s growth strategy?
Mobile money is one of our most important growth drivers, alongside mobile data and enterprise services. Afrimoney is expanding beyond basic person-to-person transfers into merchant payments, salary disbursements and a broader range of digital financial services. The mobile money market in the DRC is competitive, but it is still underdeveloped relative to the size, depth and potential of the population. We have a real opportunity to improve financial inclusion here.
Operating in the DRC comes with challenges. How does Africell manage these?
Operating in the DRC requires navigating structural challenges, including infrastructure gaps, power constraints, logistics and regulatory complexity. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration with partners, with government, and increasingly with other operators through infrastructure-sharing agreements that help reduce costs and accelerate expansion. On the foreign exchange side, we manage currency pressures through careful treasury planning and strong banking partnerships. Earlier this year, Africell raised capital from international investors to support continued investment in the DRC and Angola, which gives us a solid foundation to build from.
What is Africell’s position on satellite connectivity? Is it a competitor or a complement?
It is very much a complement. We are exploring a partnership with Starlink to extend connectivity to remote and underserved areas of the DRC where terrestrial infrastructure is limited or absent. Satellite cannot replace mobile networks in urban and peri-urban areas, but it can help close coverage gaps and provide resilient backup connectivity. That is good for our customers and good for the country.
What is your overall outlook for Africell DRC?
I am enormously excited by and optimistic about DRC’s future. And these feelings are grounded in what I and my colleagues see every day. The DRC is one of Africa’s greatest digital opportunities. There is vast latent demand for connectivity and financial services. Our goal is to meet that demand reliably, affordably and innovatively. My job is to ensure that Africell has the network, the products, and the team to capitalise.